Trump says 11 'terrorists' were killed in US strike on Venezuela drug boat

"The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States," Trump said. "The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike."

By Misty Severi

Published: September 2, 2025 6:36pm

Updated: September 2, 2025 8:04pm

President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening confirmed that 11 people were killed on a Venezuela drug boat that the United States targeted on Tuesday morning.

Trump ordered the strike on the suspected drug boat as the United States ramps up its efforts to fight drug cartels operating out of Venezuela. The Trump administration has also recently doubled its bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom they have accused of leading the Tren de Aragua drug cartel.

"The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. 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," he continued. "BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Footage of the missile strike, which accompanied Trump's Truth Social post, showed the small boat exploding into flames after it was hit, the New York Post reported.

Trump first announced the strike during a news conference at the White House. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also confirmed the strike.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.