Venezuela: 11 killed by US military strike on vessel were civilians, not cartel
Venezuelan authorities say none of the 11 people killed in last week’s U.S. strike on a boat in the Caribbean had ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. It’s a claim directly contradicting Washington.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television that domestic investigations showed the victims were civilians, not drug traffickers.
He called the strike “a murder” and questioned why U.S. forces did not attempt arrests if they suspected narcotics were on board.
President Nicolás Maduro announced new deployments of soldiers, police and civilian defense units at hundreds of locations across the country. He said Venezuela must be prepared for “an armed fight, if it’s necessary.” He also rejected U.S. allegations that his nation serves as a hub for drug trafficking.
White House defends the operation
President Donald Trump posted a video of the explosion and said the strike eliminated 11 narcoterrorists. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly repeated that description and referred to Maduro as a fugitive.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that Trump ordered the boat’s destruction to discourage future trafficking, even though forces might have stopped and boarded it.
In a report to Congress, Trump argued that the attack was justified as self-defense. He cited Tren de Aragua’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization and accused cartels of causing tens of thousands of American deaths each year.
Legal experts raise concerns
Legal specialists and former military lawyers told news outlets including Reason that the strike appeared to cross long-standing U.S. limits. Georgetown professor Marty Lederman said it seemed to violate a 1981 executive order. The order prohibits assassinations and could amount to murder under U.S. and military law.
New York University’s Ryan Goodman said he struggled to see how Pentagon attorneys could defend the attack as legal. Donald Guter, a former Navy judge advocate general, asked how a retreating vessel could be considered an imminent threat. The boat reportedly turned around after U.S. military aircraft were spotted overhead.
Vice President JD Vance defended the action, calling it an appropriate use of military force against cartels. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., denounced that view as “despicable and thoughtless,” warning against glorifying killings carried out without trial.
What comes next?
Venezuela stepped up its deployments of troops and militias. Meanwhile, the U.S. has reinforced its Caribbean presence with F-35 jets based in Puerto Rico. It has also deployed eight warships and one attack submarine to the region.
The dispute over the legality and consequences of the boat strike continues as members of Congress press the administration for a fuller explanation.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
