President Donald Trump authorized a nighttime U.S. military strike on a vessel suspected of being linked to Tren de Aragua in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of six alleged narco-terrorists, according to officials.
“Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of War executed a targeted kinetic strike on a vessel associated with Tren de Aragua (TdA), recognized as a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), which was engaged in narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean Sea,” announced War Secretary Pete Hegseth on X. “Our intelligence identified the vessel as being involved in illegal drug smuggling, traveling along a well-known route for narco-trafficking, and carrying narcotics.”
“The strike, which took place in international waters, involved six male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel and was our first conducted at night,” he continued. “All six individuals were killed, and no U.S. forces were harmed during the operation.”
An infrared image released by the Department of War shows the suspected Tren de Aragua vessel in the Caribbean Sea’s international waters prior to the U.S. nighttime strike that officials say resulted in the deaths of six alleged narco-terrorists. (Department of War/Pete Hegseth)
Hegseth issued a stern warning: “If you are involved in drug smuggling within our hemisphere, we will treat you as we do Al-Qaeda. Whether it’s day or night, we will trace your networks, track your associates, and eliminate you.”
This operation marks the 10th strike against suspected drug traffickers since Trump’s return to office in January, reflecting his administration’s commitment to addressing the nation’s drug crisis as a key policy priority.
The first strike took place on Sept. 2, and since then, 43 suspected drug traffickers have been killed and two have survived.
The Trump administration has been scrutinized in recent weeks over the strikes, including by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the latest strike Friday morning. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images )
In a recent interview, Paul cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded for suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.
The senator has also argued that if the administration plans to engage in a war with Venezuela, as it has targeted boats in recent weeks it claims are transporting drugs for the Venezuela-linked Tren de Aragua gang, it must seek a declaration of war from Congress.
