United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that military operations against narco-terrorists will continue following a strike on a Venezuelan vessel.
Hegseth ON Wednesday, September 3, emphasized a zero-tolerance stance against designated narco-terrorists in the southern Caribbean.
He also stated that the US is fully mobilized in its mission, utilizing air and maritime resources to combat illegal narcotics trafficking.
“We’ve got assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships, because this is a deadly serious mission for us, and it won’t stop with just this strike,” Hegseth said on Fox News.
“Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated Narco terrorist will face the same fate,” Hegseth said.
US Military Intensifies Fight Against Drug Cartels After Deadly Strike on Venezuelan Vessel
The US has carried out a strike against a drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 “narcoterrorists.”
President Donald Trump announced that the United States military conducted a “kinetic” strike on a small boat he accused of smuggling drugs out of Venezuela for the Tren de Aragua gang.
In a Tuesday post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump shared black-and-white aerial footage of the bombing, which reportedly killed 11 people.
“The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike,” Trump wrote.
“Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”
Also Read: Global Tension as Trump Expected to Announce Department of War
The bombing took place early on Tuesday morning, according to the president.
It marks a significant escalation in tensions with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump has repeatedly accused—without evidence—of orchestrating transnational gang activity.
Trump first revealed that the attack had occurred during an Oval Office news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“When you come out and when you leave the room, you’ll see that we just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat,” Trump told reporters.
“A lot of drugs in that boat. And you’ll be seeing that, and you’ll be reading about that,” Trump continued, later adding: “These came out of Venezuela.”
The incident is the first known military strike the US has taken against alleged drug smugglers since the Trump administration began increasing military presence in the Caribbean last month.
Also Read: Trump Responds to Xi, Putin, and Kim’s Joint Appearance at China’s Military Parade
China Unveils Latest Weapons in Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
The latest announcement from Hegseth comes after Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un stood together publicly for the first time at a military parade in Tiananmen Square to commemorate the end of World War II.
Putin and Kim flanked China’s leader at the start of the parade, in a deliberate show of unity from three strongmen who have never appeared together in public before.
The event represented a defiant challenge to the US-led world order. In reaction, President Donald Trump accused China, Russia, and North Korea of conspiring against the US.
In a sarcastic post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
Beijing’s parade showcased a mix of conventional weaponry and advanced technologies, including hypersonic missiles, laser air defense systems, and undersea drones, highlighting China’s significant investment in modern warfare capabilities. China also introduced its newest intercontinental ballistic missiles in years.
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