US Strike In Southern Caribbean, Military Buildup, Venezuelan Response in SOUTHCOM Region

On September 01, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, during a news conference, described the U.S. naval deployment as a notable continental challenge, announcing defensive measures.

SOUTHCOM — On Wednesday, September 02 (UTC), a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by a video of the strike and re-posted by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), reported that U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike in international waters within the southern Caribbean.

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The statement, video, and SOUTHCOM re-post describe the operation as targeting a vessel that President Trump stated was transporting illegal narcotics to the United States, authorized under presidential orders.

The statement indicated that 11 individuals, identified as Tren de Aragua (TDA) narcoterrorists, were killed, with no U.S. Forces sustaining injuries, though these details lack independent verification beyond the President's statement and a single Pentagon statement. Update: A State Department statement has also now been released.

• The statement asserts that TDA operates under the influence of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, implicating the group in mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and violence across the Western Hemisphere.

• In contrast, the U.S. Intelligence Community’s April 2025 assessment, based on classified data, indicates that Venezuela’s environment supports TDA activities, but stated that the Maduro government likely does not oversee or direct these operations, with possible minor facilitation by some officials.

Maduro Describes US Naval Deployment To Region As Continental Challenge, Announces Defensive Measures