The president said in a social media posting that 11 people
were killed in the rare US military operation in the Americas, a dramatic
escalation in the Republican administration’s effort to stem the flow of
narcotics from Latin America. Trump also posted a short video clip of a small
vessel appearing to explode in flames.
“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in
International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United
States,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this
serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United
States of America.”
The video appears to show a long, multi-engine speedboat
traveling at sea when a bright flash of light bursts over the craft. The boat
is then briefly seen covered in flames.
The video, which is largely in black and white, is not clear
enough to see if the craft is carrying as many as 11 people. The video also did
not show any large or clear stashes of drugs inside the boat.
Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua. The gang has expanded in recent years as more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fled economic turmoil and migrated to other Latin American countries or the US.
Trump and administration officials have repeatedly blamed the gang for being at the root of the violence and illicit drug dealing that plague some cities. And the president on Tuesday repeated his claim — contradicted by a declassified US intelligence assessment — that Tren de Aragua is operating under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control.
The White House did not immediately explain how the military
determined that those aboard the vessel were Tren de Aragua members. The size
of the gang is unclear, as is the extent to which its actions are coordinated
across state lines and national borders.
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