Venezuelan vessel destroyed during U.S. military strike (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)
However, a declassified assessment from the National Intelligence Council in April determined that there is no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government.
According to Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., the vessel belonged to the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug trafficking group led by Venezuela’s military leaders.
The Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach to drive down the influx of drugs into the U.S., and has designated drug cartel groups like Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel and others as foreign terrorist organizations in February.
In response to the Trump administration’s decision to dispatch the destroyers to U.S. Southern Command, Maduro said Venezuela was prepared to respond to any attacks and said the move amounted to "an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat."
HEGSETH ISSUES STARK WARNING TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS FOLLOWING US MILITARY STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN VESSEL
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon June 26, 2025, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/The Associated Press )
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-touts-us-strike-maduro-slams-military-threat-off-venezuela