Clash over Drug Vessel: Venezuela's Outrage Against Trinidad's Praise for US Action

The United States has taken a bold step in its ongoing counter-narcotics mission, with eight Navy ships deployed in the Caribbean and Pacific, as announced by President Donald Trump. The latest development saw a military strike against a drug-carrying vessel operated by Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang in the southern Caribbean.

The operation, which occurred at sea in international waters, resulted in the death of 11 people, according to President Trump. No U.S. Forces were harmed during the strike. This military action was welcomed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who stated that it sends a direct warning to cartels across the hemisphere.

Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised the US strike, arguing that cutting the flow of drugs, guns, and human trafficking would reduce violence in the Caribbean. However, the move risks further straining US-Venezuela relations and reshaping regional security dynamics.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced the strike as part of Washington's alleged attempt to seize Venezuela's vast oil and gas resources. Maduro claimed that in the face of imperialist threats, God is with them, and there will be peace in Venezuela with sovereignty.

In response to the US strike, Venezuelan troops have been mobilized along its coast. Questions remain over the evidence linking the 11 killed in the strike directly to the Tren de Aragua or Venezuelan President Maduro. Some US intelligence assessments contradict President Trump's claim that Maduro controls the Tren de Aragua gang.

President Trump posted a message on Truth Social regarding the strike, stating that it serves as a warning to anyone thinking about bringing drugs into the United States. Fox News's Pete Hegseth warned that anyone else trafficking in those waters who is a designated narco terrorist will face the same fate.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar expressed no sympathy for drug traffickers and suggested that the U.S. military should kill them all violently. She stated that she is happy about the success of the US naval deployment's mission.

This article does not contain any new facts about the Hamas hostages or Trump's demand for their release. The US strike against the Tren de Aragua gang's drug vehicle in the southern Caribbean marks a significant escalation in the US's war on drugs and could have far-reaching implications for regional politics.