U.S. military strikes Venezuelan drug boat in Caribbean, killing 11

Amna Nawaz:

President Trump announced late today that the United States has sunk a boat after it left Venezuela carrying drugs. It is the first known military strike in the region since President Trump ordered an increased military presence in the Caribbean.

Nick Schifrin's following all this and he joins me now.

So, Nick, tell us, what do we know about this strike?

Nick Schifrin:

President Trump said that the U.S. Navy operated against that boat that you said that was operated by Tren de Aragua. That has been designated by the administration as a foreign terrorist organization.

And the president posted this video on TRUTH Social this afternoon, saying 11 members of the group were sailing toward the United States carrying illegal drugs. And attached to the video, he wrote — quote — "Please let this serve as notice to anyone even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. Beware. Thank you for your attention to this matter," multiple exclamation points.

Now, as you said, Amna, President Trump this summer ordered a large Navy and Marine deployment to the area. You see some of the ships there. A Navy official says it includes destroyers, cruisers, as well as smaller ships capable of launching Marines onto shore.

In total, it's thousands of service members, including submarines. The administration describes it as a drug mission and uses the language of war, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio did today.

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State: We destroyed a drug boat that left Venezuela operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization, which is what these are.

And he's been clear that the days of acting with impunity and having an engine shot down or a couple drugs grabbed off a boat, a take — those days are over. Now it is, we are going to wage combat against drug cartels that are flooding America's streets and killing Americans.

Nick Schifrin:

Now, that said, Amna, regional experts tell me the drug trade is highly decentralized, and fighting it is not usually a military effort. It is traditionally seen as law enforcement.

So there are economic tools. There are diplomatic political tools and tools used by the Drug Enforcement Agency. So that is what fundamentally has changed, that it is the U.S. Navy, not the Coast Guard and the DEA, taking these steps.

The nature of the military deployment, though, means that some experts believe this is a message or a threat to Nicolas Maduro, the head of Venezuela, whom Trump accused of controlling multiple gangs, including Tren de Aragua, and whom Trump tried to depose during the first term by backing an opposition figure.

Reporters asked Rubio that specific question today, whether the U.S. would operate against Maduro. He said, look, this is a counterdrug operation, but he wouldn't discuss any future operations.

Amna Nawaz:

And has there been any response from the Maduro government in Venezuela?

Nick Schifrin:

There has not been today to this strike, at least not in a couple hours. But, just yesterday, Nicolas Maduro gave a rare press conference. He described the military deployment by the Trump administration as proof the administration was seeking regime change.

And he tried to paint Rubio, not Trump, as the aggressor.

Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan President (through interpreter):

Mr. President Donald Trump, you must be careful, because Marco Rubio wants to stain your hands with blood, South American, Caribbean, Venezuelan blood. They want to drag you into a bloodbath to tarnish the Trump name forever with a massacre against the Venezuelan people, with a terrible war across South America and the Caribbean. This would be a full-scale continental war.

Nick Schifrin:

Maduro trying to paint this clearly, Amna, as an inevitable U.S. military effort against Venezuela, which the Trump administration says is not on the cards right now.

Amna Nawaz:

Nick Schifrin, thank you, as always.

Nick Schifrin:

Thank you.