WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military carried out three strikes Monday in the waters of the Eastern Pacific against boats suspected of carrying drugs, killing 14 and leaving one survivor.
The announcement made on social media Tuesday, marks a continued escalation in the pace of the strikes, which began in early September spaced weeks apart. This was the first time multiple strikes were announced in a single day.
Hegseth said Mexican search and rescue authorities “assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue” of the sole survivor but didn’t say if that person would stay in their custody or be handed over to the U.S.
In a strike earlier in October which had two survivors, the U.S. military rescued the pair and later repatriated them to Colombia and Ecuador.
Hegseth posted footage of the strikes to social media in which two boats can be seen moving at speed through the water. One is visibly laden with a large amount of parcels or bundles. Both then suddenly explode and are seen aflame.
The third strike appears to have been conducted on a pair of boats that were stationary in the water alongside each other. They appear to be largely empty with at least two people seen moving before an explosion engulfs both boats.
Hegseth said “the four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics.”
The death toll from the 13 disclosed strikes since early September is now at least 57 people.
THIS is the moment US military forces bombed a drug running boat from the Tren de Aragua gang.
Dramatic footage shows a kinetic strike target and destroy a smuggling vessel in the Southern Caribbean.
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Trump confirmed the attack while speaking from the Oval Office todayCredit: Alamy
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The vessel was blown up using a kinetic strikeCredit: Instagram
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The US President confirmed 11 people were killedCredit: Instagram
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The drug vessel had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organizationCredit: Instagram
Washington designates Venezuela’s Tren de Agarua gang as a Maduro-backed terror group.
President Donald Trump, 79, confirmed US forces attacked the boat, killing 11.
Speaking from the Oval Office today, Trump said: “Over the last few minutes we just shot out a drug carrying boat, a lot of drugs on that boat.
“You’ll be seeing that, it just happened moments ago, our Great General and head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has been so incredible, including what took place in Iran knocking out potential nuclear power, I think within a month they would have had it if we didn’t do what we did.
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“And there’s more where that came from. There’s a lot of drugs pouring into our country. These came out of Venezuela, a lot of things are coming out of Venezuela. We took it out.”
Meanwhile Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X: ” The US military conducted a lethal strike… against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”
A senior defense official confirmed further information on the “precision strike” would “be made available at a later time.”
This comes amid rising tension between Caracas and Washington.
Last week the US leader sent warships to Venezuela as the country’s dictator moved 15,000 troops to the border with Colombia.
Three US destroyers and 4,000 marines are sailing towards the South American coastline as tensions skyrocket.
Trump has accused President Nicolas Maduro of “mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere”.
The White House previously accused the Tren de Aragua of having “unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States.”
The 1798 Act was last used to justify the internment of Japanese-American civilians during World War 2.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 gives gargantuan levels of authority to the Republican to target and remove undocumented immigrants.
It is designed as a law to be invoked if the US is at war with another country or a nation has invaded the US or threatened to do so.
The proclamation called for all of those subject to the measure to be arrested, detained and removed immediately.
Trump said in a proclamation: “All Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies.”
But, a judge quickly blocked Trump from invoking the act and ordered any flights carrying the gang members to turn around with the order now set for a battle through the courts.
Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organisation and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization from Venezuela.
Believed to have over 5,000 members, Homeland Security officials labeled the group “high-threat,” according to US media reports.
In comments after the strike today, the US president wrote on X: “Earlier this morning, on my Orders, Military Forces conduced a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.
“TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere.
“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.
“The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike.
“Please let this serve as a notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The president appeared on Tuesday to announce that U.S. Space Command headquarters will move from Colorado to Alabama.
He was then asked if he had seen the viral claims that he was no longer living.
“Really? I didn’t see that. That’s pretty serious!” Trump said, before insisting he had been busy behind the scenes.
“I did numerous interviews and had some pretty poignant posts on my social media site. I was very active over the weekend,” he added, noting that he also visited “some people” at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
The press conference had been called to announce that U.S. Space Command headquarters will move from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama — a reversal of Joe Biden’s 2023 decision to keep the base in Colorado.
Trump originally reestablished Space Command in 2018, saying its mission was to defend U.S. interests in space.
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It comes amid rising tension between Caracas and WashingtonCredit: Getty
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Washington designates Venezuela’s Tren de Agarua gang as a Maduro-backed terror groupCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
