US Military Strike Kills 11 in Venezuela Drug Cartel Action

The Trump administration has escalated its military campaign against Latin American drug cartels, notably targeting a Venezuelan vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua gang and killing 11 individuals in the Caribbean. President Donald Trump publicly justified the strike as a necessary preemptive action to halt massive drug shipments into the U.S., labeling the traffickers as "narco-terrorists" and warning others of similar consequences. This marks a significant shift in U.S. policy, applying counterterrorism tactics traditionally used abroad to drug traffickers near U.S. borders, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasizing ongoing offensive operations against designated narco-terrorists. The administration's strategy also involves pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom it accuses of running a narco-state, including increasing rewards for his capture and aiming to destabilize his regime through intensified drug interdiction. However, the military strike raised legal and ethical concerns internationally, with experts questioning its conformity to international law and critics warning of extrajudicial killings. Venezuelan government officials condemned the attack as an act of aggression and regime change attempt, while some opposition figures praised the U.S. actions as a necessary blow against criminal networks.