2025 United States strike on Venezuelan boat

Last updated

2025 United States strike on a Venezuelan boat
Part of 2025 US Caribbean naval deployment and 2025 U.S. military campaign against cartels
Unclassified footage of the airstrike
Type Airstrike
Location
Southern Caribbean
Planned byFlag of the United States.svg United States
TargetAlleged Venezuelan-linked drug vessel operated by Tren de Aragua
Date2 September 2025 (2025-09-02) (VET)
Executed by
OutcomeVessel sunk [1]
Casualties11 killed [1] [2]

On 2 September 2025, United States president Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy had carried out an airstrike the day before in the southern Caribbean on a boat from Venezuela, killing all 11 people on the vessel. Trump released a video of the strike. The Trump administration alleged that the vessel was operated by members of the gang Tren de Aragua and transporting narcotics, but has not provided evidence of the presence of drugs or weapons on board. The administration of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro denied the strike had happened and said the video was fake;[ needs update ] inhabitants of the town the boat originated from acknowledged the incident and posted tributes to the dead on social media.

Contents

The strike came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Venezuela following the deployment of U.S. Navy warships and personnel to the region. The next day, U.S. secretary of defense Pete Hegseth said military operations against drug cartels in Venezuela would continue, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that similar strikes could follow, without providing evidence to substantiate the allegations against those killed. [3] [4]

Several experts questioned the legality of the strike under U.S. law and international law. The Venezuelan government accused the U.S. of committing extrajudicial murder and Maduro said the U.S. was threatening regime change with the strike and the buildup of U.S. naval forces in the area.

Background

During the Trump administration's second term, the U.S. intensified its focus on drug cartels, designating the Venezuelan Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization and doubling the reward for the capture of President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million. [1] [5] On 18 August 2025, the U.S. deployed three warships and approximately 4,000 sailors and Marines to the coast of Venezuela, citing the need to combat drug cartels. [6] [7] [8]

On 29 August, PBS News reported that Trump was utilizing the military to counter cartels he blamed for trafficking fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S. and for fueling violence in American cities, stating that the government had "not signaled any planned land incursion" [9] – similarly, The Guardian stated that "many experts are skeptical the US is planning a military intervention". [1]

In response, Venezuela said it would mobilize more than four million soldiers in the Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela; the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the militia had 343,000 members as of 2020. [10] [9] [11]

Military action

1 September strike

On 2 September, the U.S. announced that a military vessel struck and sank a speedboat that it alleged was smuggling drugs from Venezuela to the southern Caribbean [12] during a high-seas interdiction mission. [1] [13] Trump announced the attack from the White House, describing the target as "loaded" with narcotics, a "lot of drugs" bound for the United States. [14] In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the operation killed 11 members of Tren de Aragua. [15] Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the sinking on social media, stating the vessel was operated by a "designated narco-terrorist organization". [16] On 6 September 2025, Rubio said: "Instead of interdicting it, on the president's orders, we blew it up. And it'll happen again." [17] Venezuela's El Nacional stated that the boat was destroyed on 1 September. [18]

The vessel came from the village of San Juan de Unare, located on the Paria Peninsula in Sucre (a coastal state in the northeastern part of Venezuela). [2] [19] Inhabitants describing a town in mourning [20] published tributes containing photos of the deceased beginning early on 3 September. [21] [2] The deceased included eight persons from San Juan de Unare and three from a nearby town, Güiria. [18]

Venzuelan media reported extensively. El Pitazo reported that the boat was a flipper type with four 200-horsepower engines, about 12 metres (39 ft) long, and was headed for nearby Trinidad and Tobago. Two other vessels which departed at about the same time escaped detection. [2] [18] [22] [23] U.S. military veteran Luis Quiñonez stated in a television interview that three warnings (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) to stop were issued, [24] and sources told journalist Sebastiana Barráez  [ es ] that the vessel carried a "considerable cargo" and that some had been thrown overboard before the U.S. attack. [18]

Originally a fishing village, San Juan de Unare had been for two decades taken over as a transit point in the drug trade, according to Ronna Rísquez. [25] France 24, quoting local media, reported that since 2018 the town has been a "strategic hub for drug trafficking, human trafficking, and irregular migration", and that Tren de Aragua ran drugs ultimately destined for the U.S. from the Sucre coast via Caribbean islands. [20] According to Efecto Cocuyo , Sucre state's short distance from Trinidad "facilitates the proliferation of these illicit activities, a fact that has been widely documented by various organizations ... in multiple investigations". [19] An anonymous expert on organized crime told Efecto Cocuyo that drugs trafficked through the region originate in Colombia, and that gangs such as Tren de Aragua are "attempting to control these territories to establish direct transportation routes to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean". [19]

Trump posted footage of the attack on Truth Social, showing a missile striking the boat and setting it on fire. [26] A U.S. spokesperson later confirmed that either a military helicopter or an MQ-9 Reaper drone struck the boat. Rubio added that the boat appeared to be heading for Trinidad or another Caribbean country. [13]

The New York Times and Associated Press reported that national security sources acknowledged that the boat seemed to be turning back when it was hit. [27] [28]

2 September aftermath

President Trump hinted at further military action, stating: "There's more where that came from." [12]

The U.S. Navy has increased the size of its patrol group in the region. [11] On 4 September, in response to the presence of U.S. warships in the region, two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets conducted a flyover of USS Jason Dunham, [29] after which Trump gave permission to shoot down Venezuelan planes if they presented a danger to U.S. ships. [30]

On 5 September, Trump ordered the deployment of ten F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico, to conduct combat air patrols in the region and support the Southern Caribbean fleet, amid growing tensions. [30] [31] [32] Two days later, Venezuela acknowledged "drug trafficking routes" and announced that it would increase troops, from 10,000 to 25,000, to combat drug trafficking in coastal and border states, including the Sucre state. [33]

During a surprise trip on 8 September to Puerto Rico with U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, Hegseth told sailors and Marines assigned to the area: "What you're doing right now – it's not training ... This is the real-world exercise on behalf of the vital national interests of the United States of America to end the poisoning of the American people." [34]

On 13 September, the Venezuelan government claimed that a U.S. destroyer had detained and boarded a tuna fishing boat with nine crew members. The destroyer released the boat, and it was escorted away by the Venezuelan Navy. Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil stated that this act was illegal and that Venezuela would defend itself. [35]

15 September strike

On 15 September, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that the U.S. military launched a second strike into a boat transporting illicit drugs from Venezuela during the morning hours, killing three men aboard the vessel. [36] Following the second attack, Trump released both an androcide threat and a chilling statement on social media targeting towards Venezuelan men, replying in all capital letters: "Be warned — If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you!" [37]

Legality

The Trump administration did not initially announce any specific legal authority for the strike. [38] [39] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared, "We have the absolute and complete authority", citing "... the defense of the American people alone. 100,000 Americans were killed each year under the previous administration because of an open border and open drug traffic flow. That is an assault on the American people." [40] [41] Jake Tapper asked Tom Homan how the President has authority to conduct such a strike; Homan deferred to the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense, saying the cartels had "... killed more Americans than any war." [42] The Trump administration did not provide evidence about the vessel's cargo, nor did it establish that the vessel's crew were threatening to attack. [43]

Experts have questioned the legality of the strike under U.S. and international law. [44] [45] The Atlantic and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggested that Trump was relying on the authority given the president as commander in chief under Article II of the U.S. Constitution. [46] [45] According to CSIS, critics say the president must notify Congress within 48 hours to gain authorization. [45]

An expert in U.S. constitutional law from King's College London stated to the BBC that it is not clear if the strike would fall under the presidential powers granted by the anti-terrorist Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 (AUMF), but that the administration's use of the term "narco-terrorists" may hint at this being their legal justification. [47] According to CSIS, for several decades AUMF "has substituted for a formal declaration of war", and was used in 2001 to authorize war against "nations, organizations, or persons [the president] determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided” the September 11 attacks or "harbored such organizations or persons". [45] CSIS states that this authorization has been "used as a controversial legal basis for U.S. counterterrorism operations against the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other organizations" and Joe Biden "did not seek congressional authorization for its frequent strikes against the Houthis in Yemen". [45]

Political scientist Peter Feaver noted that every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan's considered deploying military force in the war on drugs, but only the second Trump administration followed through. [46]

Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America said the strike "[l]ooks like a massacre of civilians at sea". [44] In an interview with Democracy Now! , Greg Grandin questioned whether the boat was actually being used to smuggle drugs, arguing that such a boat would not carry 11 passengers, but would devote the space to drug cargo. Grandin said that the strike was "bringing the logic of Gaza into the Caribbean, in terms of unaccountability, impunity and an expansive notion of national defense to justify what is, in effect, just extrajudicial killing." [48] David Smilde also said that the number of passengers would be unusual for a drug smuggling boat. [43]

Senator Mark Warner said he was worried about putting American sailors "in harm's way by violating international law", and declared that neither he, a member of the Gang of Eight, nor the Senate Intelligence Committee were briefed ahead of the operation. [49] A bipartisan briefing scheduled for 5 September was abruptly cancelled. [50]

Reactions

Venezuela

Early on 3 September, tributes containing photos, videos and names of the deceased began to appear on social media. [21] There was no response from the Maduro administration for four hours after the strike was announced; Freddy Ñáñez, the Venezuelan communications minister, was the first Venezuelan official to address the strike. [21] He stated that the footage of the attack was fake. [51] Inhabitants of San Juan de Unare disagree with this version. [2] [20] [18] [22]

During his regular TV show on 3 September, Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, characterized the strike as "fake news" "invented" by the U.S. as a cover for regime change. [21] In the TV segment, he called the killings extrajudicial murders. [26] [52] Cabello later said that Venezuelan investigations determined none of the 11 people killed were members of Tren de Aragua. [53] A neighbor of one of the victims disagreed with this version. [54]

The next day, on 4 September, [21] Attorney General Tarek William Saab said the attack never occurred. [55]

Maduro accused the U.S. of threatening regime change with the strike and build up of U.S. naval forces in the area. He said there were no criminal connections to drug traffickers. [26] Delcy Rodriguez, the vice president of Venezuela, asked on 8 September, "How can there be a drug cartel if there's no drugs here?" [34]

United States

James Stavridis, a former U.S. Navy admiral, characterized the strike and other U.S. military activity around the same time as gunboat diplomacy intended to demonstrate the vulnerability of Venezuelan oil rigs and materiel. He wrote that drug interdiction was likely not the sole reason for the increased U.S. military activity. [56]

In an exchange on X, Vice President JD Vance stated, "Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military," to which writer Brian Krassenstein responded, "killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime", Vance responded "I don't give a shit what you call it." Senator Rand Paul intervened in the argument, saying "What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial." [57] Senator Bernie Moreno responded to Paul saying, "what’s really despicable is defending foreign terrorist drug traffickers who are *directly* responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans in Kentucky and Ohio." [58]

Puerto Rico governor Jennifer Gonzalez thanked the Trump administration on 9 September 2025 for the "fight against drug cartels in our hemisphere". [34]

Other

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised the U.S. attack and encouraged more operations against drug traffickers, saying: 'The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the U.S. military should kill them all violently." [25] [59]

Colombian president Gustavo Petro said that attacking the boat occupants in drug interdictions rather than capturing them amounted to murder. [59] When asked whose side he was on, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was on the side of peace, favored negotiations, and that U.S. forces in the Caribbean had become a source of tension. [60] [61] [62]

Spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova denounced the strike, calling it "absolutely unacceptable". [63] The Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva condemned the attack as illegal under international law. [64]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Phillips, Tom (2 September 2025). "US conducts 'kinetic strike' against drug boat from Venezuela, killing 11, Trump says". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Difunden fotos de las personas que supuestamente viajaban en la lancha que destruyó EE UU en el Caribe" [Photos are being released of the people who were allegedly traveling on the boat destroyed by the US in the Caribbean]. El Nacional (in Spanish). Venezuela. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  3. ↑ Ali, Idrees; Stewart, Phil; Mason, Jeff; Psaledakis, Daphne (3 September 2025). "Pentagon chief suggests more operations against cartels coming". Reuters. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  4. ↑ Schmitt, Eric (3 September 2025). "Trump Administration Says Boat Strike Is Start of Campaign Against Venezuelan Cartels". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  5. ↑ "Venezuela's Maduro says "no way" U.S. can invade after Washington deploys warships to region". CBS News. 29 August 2025. Archived from the original on 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Holland, Steve (18 August 2025). "US deploys warships near Venezuela to combat drug threats, sources say". Reuters . Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Jeyaretnam, Miranda (20 August 2025). "4,000 Troops and 4,500,000 Militiamen: What to Know About the U.S.-Venezuela Standoff". Time . Archived from the original on 20 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Regina Garcia Cano; Konstantin Toropin (29 August 2025). "US warships in South America and the reaction in Venezuela". Navy Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Why is the U.S. deploying war ships to South America? 4 things to know". PBS. 29 August 2025. Archived from the original on 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Venezuela's Maduro rallies civilian militia volunteers, citing US invasion 'threat'". France 24 . 24 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  11. 1 2 Schmitt, Eric (5 September 2025). "What to Know About a Rapid U.S. Military Buildup in the Caribbean". New York Times . ProQuest   3247135098 . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  12. 1 2 Debusmann Jr., Bernd (2 September 2025). "Trump says 11 killed in US strike on drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela". BBC. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  13. 1 2 Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric; Wong, Edward; Feuer, Alan (2 September 2025). "Trump Says U.S. Attacked Boat Carrying Venezuelan Gang Members, Killing 11". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  14. ↑ Delgado, Antonio Maria (2 September 2025). "Trump says U.S. destroyed drug boat from Venezuela: 'A lot of drugs on that boat'". Miami Herald . Archived from the original on 2 September 2025.
  15. ↑ Winkie, Davis; Meyer, Josh (2 September 2025). "US military strikes alleged 'drug vessel' from Venezuela in Caribbean Sea, 11 killed". USA Today . Archived from the original on 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  16. ↑ "Rubio says US military conducted lethal strike against drug vessel from Venezuela". Reuters. 2 September 2025. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025.
  17. ↑ Cohen, Zachary; Atwood, Kylie; Holmes, Kristen; Treene, Alayna (5 September 2025). "Trump weighs strikes targeting cartels inside Venezuela, part of wider pressure campaign on Maduro, sources say". CNN. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "¿Qué se sabe de la lancha destruida por EE UU en el Caribe que zarpó de San Juan de Unare?" [What is known about the boat destroyed by the US in the Caribbean that set sail from San Juan de Unare?]. El Nacional (in Spanish). Venezuela. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 "San Juan de Unare: un pueblo de pescadores atrapado en la red del narcotráfico" [San Juan de Unare: a fishing village caught in the drug trade]. Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish). 6 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  20. 1 2 3 "El pueblo venezolano de pescadores de donde se afirma que salió la lancha fulminada por Trump" [The Venezuelan fishing village from which the boat shot down by Trump is said to have departed] (in Spanish). France 24. 6 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "San Juan de Unare llora a sus ocho muertos por un ataque de EE. UU. que el chavismo tilda de 'invento'" [San Juan de Unare mourns its eight dead from a U.S. attack that Chavismo calls a 'fabrication']. Cronica Uno (in Spanish). 5 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Luto en San Juan de Unare: familiares y amigos comparten mensajes por redes sociales" [Mourning in San Juan de Unare: Family and friends share messages on social media]. El Pitazo (in Spanish). 4 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "¿Qué se sabe de la lancha con droga que bombardeó EE. UU.?: salió de Sucre con destino a Trinidad y Tobago" [What is known about the drug boat bombed by the US? It left Sucre for Trinidad and Tobago]. El Pitazo (in Spanish). 3 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  24. ↑ "Veterano de EE. UU. explica operativo contra lancha con drogas en El Caribe: 'Recibieron tres advertencias'" [US veteran explains operation against drug boat in the Caribbean: 'They received three warnings']. El Pitazo (in Spanish). 4 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  25. 1 2 Quesada, Juan Diego; Singer, Florantonia (5 September 2025). "The mystery of a boat pulverized by a missile in the middle of the Caribbean". El País . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  26. 1 2 3 Gibbs, Stephen (3 September 2025). "Trump hails 'drug-trafficker' killings as Maduro warns against attack". The Times. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  27. ↑ Watson, Eleanor; Yilek, Caitlin (11 September 2025). "Alleged drug-smuggling boat from Venezuela was turning back when hit, sources say". CBS News. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  28. ↑ Mascaro, Lisa; Madhani, Aamer; Toropin, Konstantin; Cano, Regina Garcia (12 September 2025). "Vessel struck by US military off Venezuela was heading back to shore, AP sources say". AP News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  29. ↑ LaPorta, James; D'Agata, Charlie (4 September 2025). "Venezuelan fighter jets flew over U.S. Navy ship in "show of force"". CBS News. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  30. 1 2 Holland, Steve; Stewart, Phil; Hunnicutt, Trevor (6 September 2025). "Trump plays down possible regime change in Venezuela; US deploys stealth fighter jets". Reuters. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  31. ↑ Luscombe, Richard (5 September 2025). "Trump sends 10 stealth fighter planes to Puerto Rico amid war on Caribbean drug cartels". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  32. ↑ Inman, Willie James; Jacobs, Jennifer (5 September 2025). "U.S. sending 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for operations targeting drug cartels". CBS News. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  33. ↑ "Venezuela to boost troops to tackle drug trafficking as US strengthens military in Caribbean". Reuters. 7 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  34. 1 2 3 Stewart, Phil; Ali, Idrees; Zengerle, Patricia (9 September 2025). "Hegseth says US deployment in Caribbean 'isn't training' on Puerto Rico visit". Reuters. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  35. ↑ "Venezuela says U.S. warship raided a tuna boat as tensions rise in the Caribbean". PBS. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ↑ "Trump announces second US strike on alleged drug traffickers". Politico. 15 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  37. ↑ "Trump announces second U.S. strike against alleged drug boat from Venezuela". CBS News. 15 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  38. ↑ Schmidt, Samantha (3 September 2025). "Trump officials defend lethal strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  39. ↑ Hall, Richard (3 September 2025). "Pentagon Promises More Cartel Strikes After Deadly Boat Raid". Time. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  40. ↑ Aaron Rupar [@atrupar] (4 September 2025). "REPORTER: What legal authority did the Pentagon invoke to strike that boat? [Video, 00:30 sec.]" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  41. ↑ Edith Olmsted (5 September 2025). "Pete Hegseth Claims 'Absolute Authority' After 'Drug Boat' Strike". The New Republic. The New Republic . Retrieved 8 September 2025. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Hegseth was asked what legal authority the Pentagon had invoked to carry out its deadly strike on a vessel officials claim was carrying drugs. (...) "I'd say we smoked the drug boat, and there's eleven narco terrorists at the bottom of the ocean. And when other people try to do that, they're gonna meet the same fate," Hegseth continued.
  42. ↑ Jake Tapper, Tom Homan (7 September 2025). Border czar defends Trump's decision to strike alleged drug boat tied to Venezuelan cartel (Internet video). CNN . Retrieved 8 September 2025. [01:45 min. total.]
  43. 1 2 Zengerle, Patricia; Zengerle, Patricia (10 September 2025). "Eight days later, questions linger about Venezuela boat strike". Reuters. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  44. 1 2 Woodward, Alex (3 September 2025). "Trump's Venezuelan boat violated international law, experts warn". The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 Cancian, Mark F.; Park, Chris H. (8 September 2025). "Going to War with the Cartels: The Military Implications". Center for Strategic and International Studies . Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  46. 1 2 Youssef, Nancy A.; Ryan, Missy; Lemire, Jonathan; Harris, Shane (4 September 2025). "Trump Is Crossing a Line That Dates Back to the Revolution". The Atlantic. Retrieved 4 September 2025. "Applying this approach to the drug mission would have been considered and debated in every administration since Reagan." But none of Trump's predecessors ultimately decided to go through with it.
  47. ↑ Murphy, Matt; Cheetham, Joshua (3 September 2025). "US strike on 'Venezuela drug boat': What do we know, and was it legal?". BBC. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  48. ↑ "Deadly U.S. Strike on Venezuelan Boat Raises Fears of Wider War: Greg Grandin". Democracy Now! . 5 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  49. ↑ Margaret Brennan, Mark Warner (7 September 2025). Sen. Mark Warner says Senate intelligence was not briefed ahead of Venezuelan boat strike (Internet video). Face the Nation. Event occurs at 06:31 min. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  50. ↑ Stephen Neukam (5 September 2025). "Trump officials cancel bipartisan briefing on Venezuela strike" . Axios . Retrieved 8 September 2025. Trump officials on Friday abruptly cancelled a briefing with top Senate national security and leadership staff about the deadly U.S. strike on a drug vessel off the coast of Venezuela.
    Why it matters: Top Democrats this week said they were left in the dark ahead of the operation, which the administration has suggested is the start of a broader military campaign.
    Officials pulled the plug on the bipartisan briefing Friday after attendees had already arrived, we are told.
    The session has been rescheduled for next week, according to a person familiar with the matter.
    The AP was first to report that Friday's briefing was canceled.
  51. ↑ Stewart, Phil; Ali, Idrees; Holland, Steve (2 September 2025). "US military kills 11 people in strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela, Trump says". Reuters. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  52. ↑ Cooper, Luke (4 September 2025). "Why experts say Trump's war on drugs could spark Venezuelan regime change". ABC News. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  53. ↑ "Venezuela says none of 11 killed in US boat strike were Tren de Aragua members". The Guardian . Reuters. 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  54. ↑ "Vecino de un fallecido en lancha bombardeada por EE. UU. afirma que sí llevaban droga" [Neighbor of man killed on boat bombed by US says they were carrying drugs]. El Pitazo (in Spanish). 11 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  55. ↑ "Tarek William Saab dice que ataque de EE. UU. hacia una lancha en El Caribe nunca ocurrió" [Tarek William Saab says the US attack on a boat in the Caribbean never happened]. El Pitazo (in Spanish). 4 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  56. ↑ Stavidris, James (2 September 2025). "The US Military Just Sent a Clear Message to Maduro and Venezuela". Bloomberg News .
  57. ↑ Jansen, Bart (7 September 2025). "Trump's sinking of Venezuelan boat sparks fight between VP Vance, Sen. Rand Paul". USA Today . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  58. ↑ Eaton, Sabrina (8 September 2025). "JD Vance's response to killing suspected drug traffickers has even Republicans questioning his judgment". Cleveland.com . Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  59. 1 2 Gibbs, Anselm; Wilkinson, Bert (3 September 2025). "Trinidad and Tobago leader praises strike and says US should kill all drug traffickers 'violently'". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  60. ↑ "Brasil no tomará partido en conflicto entre EU y Venezuela: Lula da Silva" [Brazil will not take sides in the US-Venezuela conflict: Lula da Silva]. La Jornada (in Spanish). 6 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  61. ↑ "'Brasil estará del lado de la paz': Lula sobre tensiones Venezuela-EEUU" ['Brazil will be on the side of peace': Lula on Venezuela-US tensions]. Runrunes (in Spanish). 6 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  62. ↑ "Brazil's Lula says US warships in Caribbean are a source of 'tension'". Alzazeera. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  63. ↑ [ unreliable source? ]Brisel, Robert; Croucher, Shane (4 September 2025). "Russia Reacts to Trump's Venezuela Drug Boat Strike". Newsweek. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  64. ↑ Genn, James (4 September 2025). "Iran ambassador denounces US's 'hostile' policies toward Venezuela as illegal, violating UN charter". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
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