In a significant military operation, the United States executed a nighttime strike on a vessel allegedly involved in drug smuggling, resulting in the deaths of six individuals. The operation, authorized by President Trump, targeted a boat operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a group designated as a terrorist organization by US authorities. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the details in a statement on X.
The strike took place in international waters along a known narcotics trafficking route in the Caribbean Sea. Intelligence reports indicated that the vessel was transporting illegal drugs. The operation marked the first instance of a nighttime strike by US forces in this context. All six individuals aboard the vessel, identified as male narco-terrorists, were killed, with no casualties reported among US personnel.
Hegseth issued a stern warning to drug traffickers, emphasizing that the US would treat narco-terrorists with the same severity as groups like Al-Qaeda. He stated, ‘If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you—day or night.’ The operation underscores the US government’s intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.