Trump promises continued strikes on Venezuelan drug cartels.

US – Venezuela – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – The US government is widening its fight against drug cartels in Latin America. A recent military strike on a boat from Venezuela killed 11 people. This action has started a big debate about whether it was legal.

This operation happened on Tuesday. It was the first known strike since President Trump sent navy ships to the Caribbean. Defense leaders said the mission is part of a larger push to stop “narco-terrorists” from moving drugs in the area.

A top defense official stated, “We have planes, ships, and sailors ready. This is a very serious mission for us. It will not end with this one strike. Other drug traffickers we find will face the same end.”

It is still unknown how the boat was destroyed. President Trump said the boat carried “massive amounts of drugs.” He said the crew was part of a Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua.

Experts in world law are worried. One professor said the strike “broke important rules of international law.” She argued the US did not have the right to carry out the attack in international waters.

Leaders in Venezuela accused the US of making up a reason to get involved. Their president warned that the US wants “regime change.” Some Venezuelan officials even claimed the video of the boat exploding was fake, though early checks suggest it was real.

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Mixed Reactions in Venezuela

The Venezuelan president was angry about the strike. However, a key opposition leader supported the US action. She called the president the head of a “narco-terrorist regime” and thanked Trump for targeting criminal groups.

But other opposition figures were doubtful. One asked how the US knew who was on the boat, saying, “Did they count them? How did they know they were from Venezuela?”

US Sends More Ships to the Region

The US has sent seven warships and a submarine to the Caribbean. This group includes over 4,500 sailors and Marines. Officials say this shows Trump’s promise to stop cartels at sea, similar to past fights against terrorist groups.

A US Secretary said more strikes might already be happening. “The president will wage war on narco-terrorist organizations,” he stated.

The US has also doubled the reward for arresting Venezuela’s president to $50 million. With promises of more strikes, experts warn that tensions in the area are rising. It is unclear if this is the start of a long military campaign, but the US message is clear: the operations will continue.