An overnight United States (US) strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat operated by a Venezuelan gang killed six people in the Caribbean Sea, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday.
“Overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a designated terrorist organisation (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea,” Hegseth said in a post on X.“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters—and was the first strike at night. All six terrorists were killed and no US forces were harmed in this strike,” he continued.
Hegseth further warned, “If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”
