United States President Donald Trump announced yesterday that a second vessel leaving Venezuela was targeted and struck by the US military, killing at least three on board.On his Truth Social platform, Trump said the strike had occurred in international waters and claimed that the persons killed were confirmed ‘narco-terrorists’, who had been transporting illegal narcotics headed to the US.“These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels pose a threat to US national security, foreign policy, and vital US interests,” he wrote.Asked about proof of the vessel’s occupants being drug traffickers during a White House news conference yesterday afternoon, Trump said that the proof was in the cargo that had been spattered all across the ocean. DEAD IN THE WATER: The United States president announced a second vessel leaving Venezuela was targeted and struck by the US military yesterday, killing at least three on board. “We have proof, all you have to do is look at the cargo…..big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place. We have recorded evidence that they were leaving. We are very careful…The military has been amazing,” he said.He said he was shown a clip of the strike, where proof of the drugs was seen.“We know what time they were leaving, when they were leaving, what they had,” he said.He also said that the military had noted a lack of ships in the region since its naval build-up in the southern Caribbean first began.“First when we went there were hundreds of boats, now there are no boats. I wonder why?...I think the fishing business is probably a little hurt. There are literally no boats, this was a boat and we were surprised to see it. That means there are no drugs coming by sea, but they do come by land, and we are telling the cartels right now, we are going to be stopping them too,” said Trump.On September 2, Trump announced a similar strike which killed 11 men whom the White House alleged were part of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. The US has not yet identified the exact location of that strike or what was on board the vessel when it was destroyed.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier speculated that the vessel was headed to Trinidad and Tobago, but US officials later repeated Trump’s claims that it was headed to the US.Venezuelan media previously reported that the first vessel was believed to have originated from San Juan de Unare, a coastal village just miles off Trinidad’s northern coast.Just moments before Trump’s announcement yesterday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro referred to the previous strike as a ‘heinous crime’ while speaking at a news conference.Speaking in Caracas, Maduro said that the strike had likely violated international law and questioned why the vessel’s passengers were not captured.“This isn’t tension. It is an aggression all down the line, it’s a judicial aggression when they criminalise us, a political aggression with their daily threatening statements, a diplomatic aggression and an ongoing aggression of military character,” he said.He also said that a previous line of communication between the US and Venezuela had been completely closed.“The communications with the government of the US have been thrown away, they have been thrown away by them with their threats of bombs, death and blackmail,” Maduro said. Read More

This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S. These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests. The Strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this Strike. BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU! The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American Citizens. NO LONGER. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe vessel was transporting illegal narcotics through international waters to the United States, the president said.President Trump signed a still-secret directive in July instructing the Pentagon to use military force against some Latin American drug cartels that his administration has labeled “terrorist” organizations.Credit...Haiyun Jiang/The New York TimesSept. 2, 2025President Trump said on Tuesday that the United States had carried out a strike against a boat carrying drugs and killed 11 “terrorists,” the administration’s latest military escalation in Mr. Trump’s war against Venezuelan drug cartels that he has blamed for bringing fentanyl into the country.Mr. Trump offered few specifics about the strike during his news conference on Tuesday, but later in the afternoon he posted more details on Truth Social.“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narco terrorists,” Mr. Trump wrote. He said the strike “occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.”Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.Helene Cooper is a Pentagon correspondent for The Times. She was previously an editor, diplomatic correspondent and White House correspondent.Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times. He has reported on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for more than three decades.Edward Wong reports on global affairs, U.S. foreign policy and the State Department for The Times.Alan Feuer covers extremism and political violence for The Times, focusing on the criminal cases involving the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and against former President Donald J. Trump. A version of this article appears in print on Sept. 3, 2025, Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: 11 ‘Terrorists’ On Drug Boat Killed in Strike By U.S. Forces. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | SubscribeRelated ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT

President Donald Trump said Monday that he ordered another military strike against a boat that he insists was carrying illegal drugs from Venezuela to the U.S., telling reporters the operation left three people dead and "big bags of cocaine and fentanyl" floating around in the ocean."The Strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action," he wrote in a social media post. "No U.S. Forces were harmed in this Strike. BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!"The strike was the second of its kind in less than two weeks in what appears to be an unprecedented use of lethal military force against a criminal enterprise. In the past, the U.S. government has relied on the U.S. Coast Guard and law enforcement personnel to board vessels for inspection, much as it did on Friday.But earlier this year, Trump insisted that drug cartels should be in the same legal category as foreign terrorist organizations, paving the way for the kind of lethal military force reserved under the law to prevent an imminent kinetic attack against Americans.A screen grab from a video posted to social media by President Donald Trump, Sept. 15, 2025, of what he said was a U.S. military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela.Donald J. Trump/Truth Social Critics of his administration have questioned this legal justification and whether it amounts to a war crime. While much of the pushback came from Democrats, Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul said he disagreed with Vice President J.D. Vance that it was a noble use of the military."What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial," Paul wrote on X earlier this month.It was not immediately clear where or how the boat was struck in the latest incident and whether a drone was used in the attack. In a video Trump posted to a social media, a small boat can be seen bobbing the water before being struck, resulting in a cloud of black smoke.U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the region, referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately provide details.President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing a Presidential Memorandum in the Oval Office, September 15, 2025 in Washington.Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesWhen asked by reporters about the strike, Trump said the incident occurred in international waters and insisted "we have proof" that the boat was carrying drugs because of the cargo in the ocean."Big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place," he said.Trump also said there was "recorded evidence" of wrongdoing, but did not provide specifics on what kind or what was said.Popular Reads"We've recorded them those very careful because we know you people would be after us. We're very careful," he said.On Sept. 2, Trump announced the military struck another boat, killing 11 people on board. Trump insisted the boat was carrying a "massive amounts of drugs" and was operated by members of the South American gang Tren de Aragua.He also insisted the boat was headed toward the U.S., although there appears to be questions about the boat's intentions. According to one person familiar with the operation, the boat had turned around and was headed back to shore shortly before the strike. That detail was first reported by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal last week.Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, said last Thursday on state television that none of the members of the crew were part of Tren de Aragua or drug traffickers.In a separate incident on Sept. 12, U.S. personnel boarded a civilian fishing boat. A U.S. official told ABC News that Coast Guard personnel stationed aboard the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham searched the boat for drugs following a tip but did not locate any contraband.Trump has overseen a significant buildup of troops in the region, with eight Navy ships and 10 F-35 fighter jets assigned to U.S. Southern Command, sources say. According to photographs published by Reuters, at least one armed MQ-9 Reaper drone has also been located at a civilian airport in Puerto Rico.The administration has not provided its legal justification for the Sept. 2 military strike, although officials say they have designated the cartels terrorist organizations.In an interview with Newsmax, Trump's counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka said the cartels have declared war on the US. and that's why Trump opted to designate them as terrorists."When you do a foreign terrorist organization designation, a panoply of options opens up for you that you otherwise don't have," he said.

SummarySecond strike against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels this monthStrike comes amid large US military build up in regionMaduro alleges US is hoping to drive him from powerWASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. military carried out a strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel vessel heading to the United States, the second such strike against a suspected drug boat in recent weeks.He said three men were killed in the strike, adding that it occurred in international waters. Trump provided no evidence for his assertion that the boat was carrying drugs.The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here."This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility," Trump said in a post on Truth Social."These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests," Trump said. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is the military's combatant command which encompasses 31 countries through South and Central America and the Caribbean.The post also included a nearly 30-second video, with markings of "Unclassified" on the top, which appeared to show a vessel in a body of water exploding and then on fire.Later on Monday, Trump said that "we have proof, all you have to do is look at the cargo that was ... spattered all over the ocean, big bags of cocaine and fentanyl."Reuters conducted initial checks on the video with an AI detection tool, but the video was partly blurred, making it impossible to confirm if there was any manipulation.However, thorough verification is an ongoing process, and Reuters will continue to review the footage as more information becomes available.The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The latest strike comes amid a large U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean. Five U.S. F-35 aircraft were seen landing in Puerto Rico on Saturday after the Trump administration ordered 10 of the stealth fighters to join the buildup.There are also at least seven U.S. warships in the region, along with one nuclear-powered submarine.SUSTAINED CAMPAIGN?Trump, speaking with reporters on Monday, suggested that operations could also be conducted on land against suspected drug smugglers."When they come by land, we're going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats," Trump said. "But maybe by talking about it a little bit, it won't happen."Item 1 of 3 A combination image shows two screen captures from a video posted on the X account of The White House on September 15, 2025, depicting what U.S. President Donald Trump said was a U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel that had been on its way to the United States, the second such strike carried out against a suspected drug boat in recent weeks. The White House/Handout via REUTERS. Verification lines: Reuters checked the footage through our AI detection tool and found no evidence of manipulation. however, the footage is partly blurred, making it impossible to confirm if the video is manipulated. Thorough verification is an ongoing process, and Reuters will continue to review the footage as more information becomes available.[1/3]A combination image shows two screen captures from a video posted on the X account of The White House on September 15, 2025, depicting what U.S. President Donald Trump said was a U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel that had been on its way to the United States, the second such... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read moreEarlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told sailors and Marines on a warship off Puerto Rico that they were not deployed to the Caribbean for training but instead sent to the "front lines" of a critical counter-narcotics mission.On Monday, Hegseth, in a post on X, suggested an expansive mission for the U.S. military against drug traffickers: "We will track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere — at the times and places of our choosing."Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to rename itself the Department of War, a change that will require action by Congress. The new name would apply to Hegseth as well, altering his title to "Secretary of War."Hours before Trump's post, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that recent incidents between his country and the United States were an "aggression", opens new tab by the U.S. and that communications between the two governments had largely ended.The Trump administration has provided scant information about the first strike on September 2, despite demands from U.S. lawmakers that the government justify the action. It has alleged those onboard were members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and said 11 people were killed.The Pentagon has not publicly said what type of drugs that boat was carrying or how much, or even what type of weapons were used to carry out the strike.U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told Reuters that the boat hit on September 2 appeared to be turning around when it was hit, a fact that has raised questions among some legal experts about the legality of the strike.Trump shared a video at the time of that first strike that appeared to show a speedboat exploding at sea. A Venezuelan official later suggested that the video was created with artificial intelligence.A Reuters review of that video's visual elements using a manipulation detection tool did not show evidence of manipulation.The Venezuelan government, which says it has deployed tens of thousands of troops to fight drug trafficking and defend the country, has said none of the people killed in the first strike belonged to Tren de Aragua.Maduro has repeatedly alleged the U.S. is hoping to drive him from power.Last month, the United States doubled its reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.The decision to blow up a suspected drug vessel instead of seizing it and apprehending the crew is highly unusual.Under the Constitution, the power to declare war belongs to Congress, but the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and presidents of both parties have conducted military strikes overseas without congressional approval.Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California said Monday evening that he was drafting a resolution that would force a vote under the War Powers Act on whether to block U.S. Armed Forces from engaging in hostilities against non-state organizations until formally authorized by Congress.Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali. Additional reporting by Jasper Ward and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Rami Ayyub, Rosalba O'Brien and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tabNational security correspondent focusing on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Reports on U.S. military activity and operations throughout the world and the impact that they have. Has reported from over two dozen countries to include Iraq, Afghanistan, and much of the Middle East, Asia and Europe. From Karachi, Pakistan.Phil Stewart has reported from more than 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and South Sudan. An award-winning Washington-based national security reporter, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including at the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. He is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence and the Joe Galloway Award.

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMaduro Calls U.S. Attack on Boat ‘A Heinous Crime.’ Then Trump Announces Another.The Venezuela leader, Nicolás Maduro, said that the Trump administration was trying to start a war in the Caribbean.President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela speaking at a news conference in Caracas on Monday.Credit...Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York TimesPublished Sept. 15, 2025Updated Sept. 16, 2025, 12:49 a.m. ETThe deadly attack President Trump ordered early this month on what he said was a drug-smuggling Venezuelan boat was a “heinous crime,” Venezuela’s president said on Monday — just before Mr. Trump boasted of destroying a second boat.Speaking to reporters in Caracas, the Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, said that the Sept. 2 attack, which killed 11 people, violated U.S. and international laws. If the United States believed that the boat’s passengers were drug traffickers — as Americans officials have claimed — they should have been captured, he said.Mr. Maduro called the action “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country” and said the United States was trying to goad Venezuela into a “major war.” The American goal, Mr. Maduro said, was “regime change for oil,” not drug interdiction, which the Trump administration has said is a main goal in the region.Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.Julie Turkewitz is the Andes Bureau Chief for The Times, based in Bogotá, Colombia, covering Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.Related ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldPresident Donald Trump said the US carried out a strike against a boat operated by Venezuela drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea, the second in as many weeks. Trump said on Monday that he ordered the US military to strike “confirmed narco-terrorists from Venezuela . . . transporting illegal narcotics” through international waters, killing three people. “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. His post included an aerial video appearing to show a fireball consuming a boat manned by at least two individuals.Speaking in the Oval Office later on Monday, Trump said his administration had “proof” that those aboard the boat were narco-terrorists. “Well, we have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo that was, like it spattered all over the ocean, big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place,” he said.The Financial Times could not independently verify that the boat belonged to a drug cartel or that it was transporting drugs.The US military earlier this month struck what it called a “drug vessel” in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people. US officials said the boat was controlled by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and warned that more strikes were likely as Washington expanded its naval presence in the Caribbean.“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” Trump wrote on Monday on Truth Social.A Pentagon spokesperson declined to provide further details of the strike and referred reporters to the president’s social media post.The Trump administration in August dispatched eight ships to the Caribbean, including three guided-missile destroyers, an amphibious assault ship, a guided-missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine.Secretary of state Marco Rubio suggested earlier this month that the administration would choose to “blow up” suspected drug trafficking vessels, rather than interdict them.Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro has accused the Trump administration of expanding its military presence just beyond the country’s territorial waters as a pretext for forcing regime change. “Everyone knows that it being about narco-trafficking is a lie,” Maduro said earlier on Monday. “The only truth is that they want to install a puppet regime to take control of Venezuelan oil.”The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vessel strike.Prior to Trump’s announcement of the strike, Maduro said the US military’s activities in international waters amounted to an “aggression” and communication between Caracas and Washington had been largely suspended as a result.“The US government has wrecked communications with their bomb threats and blackmail,” Maduro said during a press conference. “Relations went from shaky to broken, and the story isn’t over.”Maduro added that limited talks would continue on repatriating Venezuelan migrants from the US. “Rescuing migrants who have been kidnapped and abused after being swept off the streets in the US by [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is a top priority,” he said.Maduro — the revolutionary socialist who has ruled Venezuela with an iron fist since assuming office in 2013 — is regarded by the Trump administration as a leader of the Cartel of the Suns, an alleged drug trafficking organisation run by Venezuela’s political and military elite. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.The US raised the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50mn last month. Additional reporting by Lauren Fedor in Washington

Trump told reporters later that the administration has evidence the targeted boat was heading to the U.S. and carrying drugs. His social media post included a video showing the vessel engulfed in a fiery explosion. Trump said he believes the airstrikes have curbed the flow of drugs into the U.S. over water, and suggested he would take similar measures against cartels who smuggled drugs into the U.S. across its land borders.“When they come by land, we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats,” he said.The strike marks the second attack on an alleged drug trafficking boat this month. A U.S. strike against a vessel leaving Venezuela earlier this month prompted lawmakers in both parties to raise concerns over the legality of the attacks.Many Democrats pushed the White House to provide legal justification in the days after the first strike. The White House has repeatedly argued it abided by laws governing “armed conflict” to justify its strike.“Classifying a clear law enforcement mission as counterterrorism does not confer legal authority to target and kill civilians,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) wrote last week in a letter addressed to Trump signed by 24 other Senate Democrats.California Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, said on he is drafting a war powers resolution to block the Trump administration from using the military to conduct further strikes on alleged drug smuggling vessels without authorization from Congress.The first strike against an accused drug vessel also sparked sharp backlash from Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who attacked Vice President JD Vance for celebrating the attack.“What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial,” Paul wrote on social media in response to a post from Vance.The vice president later acknowledged the lack of due process afforded to those targeted in the attack but continued to justify the Trump administration’s legal standing.The latest U.S. strike heightens the pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who Trump has opposed since his first term. Prior to Trump’s announcement of a second strike on Monday, Maduro characterized the U.S. posture towards Venezuela as “aggression.”

The Department of War is thwarting congressional oversight of the Trump administration’s attack on a boat off the coast of Venezuela earlier this month. On Monday afternoon, as the full details of the first drone strike remained secret, Trump announced that U.S. forces conducted a second attack on a boat in the U.S. Southern Command are of responsibility, which covers the Caribbean and all of South America. In a post on TruthSocial, he wrote that the strike killed three people. “BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” he wrote. Although the president is posting edited videos of these strikes, information about the planning, execution, and legal justification for this campaign on alleged “narcoterrorists” is being kept secret from senior congressional staffers. Last Tuesday, senior staff from House leadership and relevant committees were barred by the Office of the Secretary of War from attending a briefing on the first attack, according to three government sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The military cited “alternative compensatory control measures” — the term for enhanced security procedures designed to keep information under wraps — as the reason. The War Department has attempted to conceal numerous details about the attack that killed 11 people in the Caribbean, including the fact that the vessel altered its course and appeared to have turned back toward shore prior to the strikes. Men on board were said to have survived an initial strike, The Intercept reported last week. They were then killed shortly after in a follow-up attack. “I’m incredibly disturbed by this new reporting that the Trump Administration launched multiple strikes on the boat off Venezuela,” Rep., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., a member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, said of The Intercept’s coverage. “They didn’t even bother to seek congressional authorization, bragged about these killings — and teased more to come.” A very small number of Senate and House staffers, mostly from the Armed Services committees, received highly classified briefings about the attack last Tuesday, after the military delayed the meeting for days. Staff for key members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which oversee war powers, were conspicuously absent. Briefers from the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict, the civilian Pentagon appointee who oversees special operations, made it clear that the attack was not a one-off and that lethal operations would continue, according to three sources familiar with the meetings. The Department of War did not send a lawyer to the briefing, so no expert was available to comment on the legality of the attack. A senior defense official pushed back on claims that the Pentagon was stymying oversight. “The Department did not bar senior staff from House leadership and relevant committees from attending this briefing,” said the official. “The Department briefed House and Senate Leadership and relevant oversight committee staff with proper security clearance access.” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson offered a stale quote from chief spokesperson Sean Parnell (previously published by The Intercept) in response to a request for comment about unconfirmed reports to The Intercept that men aboard the vessel attempted to surrender prior to being killed. In a letter to the White House on Wednesday, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and two dozen fellow Democratic senators said the Trump administration has provided “no legitimate legal justification” for the strike. The senators requested answers to 10 key questions regarding the facts surrounding the attack and its supposed legal underpinnings. “For decades, Congress has wrongly ceded responsibility to the President about when to declare war, and now we’re living with those consequences,” Jacobs told The Intercept. “This is why it’s never been more important for Congress to reclaim our war powers responsibilities and ensure thorough oversight and transparency into all of the Trump Administration’s military actions.” Last week Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., introduced a war powers resolution seeking to stop the Trump administration from conducting future strikes in the Caribbean. Omar told The Intercept that it was designed to “terminate hostilities against Venezuela, and against the transnational criminal organizations that the Administration has designated as terrorists this year.” One former Pentagon legal expert thinks framing the issue around war is a mistake. In her view, this is a clear-cut case of murder. “A war framing confuses the issue. This is not a war.” Sarah Harrison, who advised military leaders on legal issues related to human rights and extrajudicial killings in her former role as associate general counsel at the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel, International Affairs, says that framing the attack in the Caribbean as an act of war is a categorical error. “A war framing confuses the issue. This is not a war,” she explained. “U.S. forces went out and committed murder.” The legal issues at play were simple, she said: “There was no armed attack on the United States that would allow for the U.S. to use force in self-defense. There is no armed conflict between the United States and any cartel group or any Latin American country. A foreign terrorist designation of any of these groups does not change that. It does not authorize force against those groups.” “The killing of all 11 of these men was illegal. This was a premeditated murder of suspected criminals — by definition, civilians — based on the facts provided by the administration themselves,” she told The Intercept. “This president believes that he can kill anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances and not have to rationalize it.” Sarah Yager, a former senior adviser on human rights to the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and now the Washington director at Human Rights Watch, echoed these concerns. “This president believes that he can kill anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances and not have to rationalize it — and that he will be impugned from any accountability,” she said. “I think this should be a real concern for everyone, that the rule of law is being undermined, and we don’t know what restraints there are on the use of force.” Harrison, now a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, emphasized that Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear that the U.S. could have halted the ship and arrested the crew but chose to kill them instead. “Instead of interdicting it, on the president’s orders, we blew it up — and it’ll happen again,” Rubio boasted. “Under domestic law, and it’s the same rule under international human rights law, the use of lethal force can only be executed if there is an imminent threat to life or serious bodily injury,” said Harrison. “Rubio’s statements underscore the fact that there was no such threat.” She noted that the U.S. military is prohibited by law from executing civilians under the Uniform Code of Military Justice; Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which includes the federal murder statute; and under a long-standing executive order that bans assassinations. Multiple sources say that Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, conducted the lethal operation. This is considered highly unusual given all the other military assets based in the region. Col. Allie Weiskopf, SOCOM’s director of public affairs, would not comment on the command’s involvement in the attack. “We don’t have anything for you,” she told The Intercept. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and others told The Intercept the boat was attacked by one or more drones. Harrison said that the special operators who conducted the strike should be made aware that they complied with an unlawful order. She called on members of Congress to speak out on the issue. The U.S. has continued to ratchet up tension in the Caribbean. Personnel from a U.S. warship boarded a Venezuelan tuna boat with nine fishermen while it was sailing in Venezuelan waters on Saturday, according to Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil. The boat was, he said, “illegally and hostilely boarded by a United States Navy destroyer” and 18 armed U.S. personnel remained on the vessel for eight hours. The fishermen were then released. “We don’t have anything to offer you on this,” said a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of War in response to a request for comment on the incident and an explanation of how raiding a tuna boat contributes to U.S. national security. Venezuelan officials believe Trump may be renewing long-running efforts, which failed during his first term, to topple President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Maduro and several close allies were indicted in a New York federal court in 2020 on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. Last month, the U.S. doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. The Trump administration added the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, to a list of specially designated global terrorist groups earlier this year, alleging that it is headed by Maduro and high-ranking officials in his administration. In July, Trump also signed a secret directive ordering the Pentagon to use military force against some Latin American drug cartels he has labeled terrorist organizations. We’re independent of corporate interests — and powered by members. Join us. Become a member The United States has been surging military assets into the Caribbean for weeks. F-35 stealth fighters landed in Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon, joining one of the largest U.S. military deployments to the Caribbean in years. This includes around 4,500 U.S. personnel — including Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, seven U.S. warships, and one nuclear-powered attack submarine. And at least two MQ-9 Reaper drones were spotted at Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico last week. The U.S. is also engaged in the rapid restoration and re-outfitting of the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, which officially closed in 2004.  The 22nd MEU is operating with the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and the amphibious transport dock ships USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale. Last Monday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the Iwo Jima. “What you’re doing right now — it’s not training,” he told troops on board. “This is the real-world exercise on behalf of the vital national interests of the United States of America to end the poisoning of the American people.” Speaking on Fox News, Hegseth did not rule out regime change by the U.S. in Venezuela. “That’s a presidential-level decision, and we’re prepared with every asset that the American military has,” he said. Jacobs, the California representative, fears that the boat attack in the Caribbean may be the opening salvo of another long-running U.S. military disaster akin to the post-9/11 wars that continue to grind on across the globe today. “We can’t let Donald Trump drag us into another forever war that our youngest generations will pay for with their lives and tax dollars,” she told The Intercept. Update: September 15, 2025, 4:40 p.m. ETThis story has been updated to include details of President Trump’s disclosure of a new U.S. military attack on alleged drug traffickers on Monday afternoon.

Democracy Dies in DarknessThe president also signaled that his administration was preparing to take military action against Latin American cartels that move narcotics over land.Updated September 16, 2025 at 12:09 p.m. EDTtoday at 12:09 p.m. EDTPresident Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office on Sept. 5. (Tom Brenner/For The Washington Post)The U.S. military on Monday conducted a new attack on alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela, killing three people, President Donald Trump said on social media.“This morning, on my orders, U.S. military forces conducted a SECOND kinetic strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that included video of a small boat suddenly erupting in flames. “The strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics … headed to the U.S.”

The US military on Monday conducted a new airstrike on alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela, killing three people, President Donald Trump announced on social media. He also shared a video online that appeared to show a small vessel exploding and catching fire.It was the second strike in recent weeks on a Venezuelan boat. A previous US operation on Sept. 2 left 11 people dead. Trump later told reporters that a third boat had also been “knocked off” as part of his administration’s expanding campaign against Latin American drug traffickers, though he offered no evidence. US military officials did not immediately respond to questions about the claim.Trump has framed the actions as part of a broader fight against “violent drug cartels” that threaten American security. But he has provided no proof that the vessels were carrying narcotics.Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the attacks, calling them acts of aggression. Washington insists they are defensive operations.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro points at a map of the Americas during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept 15, 2025.Jesus Vargas/APInside Venezuela, reactions to the escalating tensions are mixed. Many citizens say they are too consumed with everyday survival to focus on geopolitics.“With the economy the way it is, we don’t even have time to think about what might happen,” said Manuela M., an entrepreneur in Caracas. Average household income is about $200 a month, roughly half of what is needed to feed a family of four. Nearly a third of Venezuela’s population has left the country in the past decade, seeking relief from one of the worst economic collapses in modern history.Others say the prospect of conflict has created uncertainty and fear. “There’s a lot of confusion,” said Antonio Andrade, a merchant in the capital. He and others have described a flood of misinformation online, especially since the US Navy deployed warships and thousands of troops to the southern Caribbean last month. Andrade said his relatives in Venezuela send him daily messages claiming the fighting has already begun. “People live in constant fear,” he said.Maduro, who is widely accused of stealing last year’s presidential election, has tightened repression and maintains his hold on the military. He has urged Venezuelans to join civilian militias to defend against US aggression. Meanwhile, public workers report they have been pressured to enlist.Members of the government-organized militias receive military training at Fort Tiuna in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept. 13, 2025.Jesus Vargas/APDespite the heated rhetoric, most analysts say a US invasion is unlikely. “The militia is really kind of a sideshow,” said David Smilde, an expert on Venezuelan politics at Tulane University. “This whole cartel thing is also a sideshow. Donald Trump hates boots on the ground. He doesn’t like regime change initiatives that involve long occupations.” Smilde says it’s “an effort to kind of try to scare Nicolas Maduro and sort of satisfy the pressures he gets from legislators from South Florida.”That skepticism is shared by some Venezuelans. “This is political theater,” said Wilman Márquez, a musician from Caracas. “Both the US and the Venezuelan people are being misled. If Washington really wanted to topple Maduro, it would have happened already.”The Trump administration insists the strikes are about national security, not politics. US officials accuse Maduro of running a drug empire known as the Cartel of the Suns and have offered a $50 million reward for his capture.“We’re not going to have a cartel masquerading as a government operating in our own hemisphere,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Fox News. “He’s indicted, he’s a fugitive of American justice.”Some legal experts argue the strikes are unlawful. Under US law, designating gangs and cartels as terrorist organizations allows for sanctions that include freezing assets, but not the use of military force.Police officers stand guard after being mobilized in Valencia, Venezuela, Sept 11, 2025.Jacinto Oliveros/APStill, others inside Venezuela say international pressure is needed. “Help from abroad is necessary,” said Arturo González, an engineer in Bolívar state. “The regime has entrenched itself in every institution of the country, and we simply can’t recover our democracy alone.”Leonardo Vivas, a professor of Latin American politics, agreed that elections alone will not dislodge Maduro. “It is not possible to get rid of him through a democratic election,” he said. “And in this case the only ally that has shown the muscle and the will has been the US.”In a recent round of interviews in the streets of Caracas, few Venezuelans favored escalation. “The presidents need to talk and negotiate,” said the merchant Antonio Andrade. “We don’t want any violence here.”A recent national poll suggests that most Venezuelans share that view. Rather than expecting foreign powers to remove Maduro, respondents said they put their faith in political negotiations — or in divine intervention.Journalist Isabel Guerrero contributed to this report from Caracas, Venezuela.

President Donald Trump defended a second U.S. strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he cited visible cocaine and fentanyl as proof, insisting it was necessary to stop drug flow into the U.S. #trump #venezuela Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/AssociatedPress Read more: https://apnews.com​ This video may be available for archive licensing via https://newsroom.ap.org/home

WASHINGTON (United States), 04/09/2025.- US President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for US technology leaders at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on September 4, 2025. Photo: EFE / EPA / WILL OLIVER / POOLUS President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that US forces have attacked three vessels of alleged drug traffickers from Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea so far, not two as he had previously claimed. "We shot down boats. Actually it was three boats, not two, but you saw two," Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for the United Kingdom for a state visit on September 16. The president was asked about statements by Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, in which he accused the American of wanting to invade his country. "Stop sending (members of the) Tren de Aragua to the United States. "Stop sending drugs to the United States," Trump responded. The Republican referred to this third vessel a day after reporting that the US armed forces had attacked a boat in which, he said, three people died, whom he described as 'terrorists'. Shortly after, in the Oval Office, he stated that the destroyed boat was carrying cocaine and fentanyl. Last Saturday, Caracas denounced that a United States "destroyer" illegally boarded and occupied for eight hours a Venezuelan vessel with "nine fishermen" who were - it stressed - in the waters of the South American country. However, the United States had not yet reacted. Increased tensions between Caracas and Washington These attacks occur amid the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela over the US military deployment in the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. The Trump Administration accuses Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, something the Venezuelan government denies, and has offered a reward of 50 million dollars for information leading to the capture of the Venezuelan leader. Maduro stated this Monday that communications with the United States are "destroyed" in the face of what he considers to be "aggression" by the North American country, and added that Venezuela is now "more prepared" if an "armed struggle" were to occur.

WASHINGTON (United States), 04/09/2025.- El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, habla durante una cena para líderes tecnológicos estadounidenses en la Casa Blanca, en Washington, DC, EE. UU., el 4 de septiembre de 2025. Foto: EFE/EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOLEl presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, dijo este martes que las fuerzas estadounidenses han atacado hasta ahora en el mar Caribe a tres embarcaciones de supuestos narcotraficantes provenientes de Venezuela y no dos, como hasta ahora había dicho. «Derribamos barcos. En realidad fueron tres barcos, no dos, pero ustedes vieron dos«, dijo Trump a la prensa en la Casa Blanca antes de partir hacia el Reino Unido para una visita de Estado este 16 de septiembre.Al mandatario le preguntaron por las declaraciones del líder venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, en las que acusó al estadounidense de querer invadir su país.«Dejen de enviar (miembros del) Tren de Aragua a los Estados Unidos. Dejen de enviar drogas a los Estados Unidos«, respondió Trump.El republicano se refirió a esta tercera embarcación un día después de informar que las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses habían atacado una lancha en la que, según dijo, murieron tres personas, que calificó de ‘terroristas’.Poco después, en el Despacho Oval, afirmó que la lancha destruida transportaba cocaína y fentanilo. El sábado pasado, Caracas denunció que un «destructor» de Estados Unidos abordó de manera «ilegal» y ocupó durante ocho horas una embarcación venezolana con «nueve pescadores» que estaban -subrayó- en aguas del país suramericanoSin embargo, Estados Unidos no había reaccionado todavía.Aumento de tensiones entre Caracas y WashingtonEstos ataques se producen en medio de la escalada de tensiones entre Estados Unidos y Venezuela por el despliegue militar estadounidense en el mar Caribe con el argumento de combatir el narcotráfico.La Administración de Trump acusa a Maduro de liderar el denominado Cartel de los Soles, algo que niega el Gobierno de Venezuela, y ha ofrecido una recompensa de 50 millones de dólares por información que conduzca a la captura del mandatario venezolano.Maduro afirmó este lunes que las comunicaciones con Estados Unidos están «deshechas» ante lo que considera una «agresión» del país norteamericano, y agregó que Venezuela está ahora «más preparada» si tocara una «lucha armada».

The United States launched an attack on a boat in the Caribbean, killing three people on board, President Donald Trump announced Monday, claiming the dead were "narco-terrorists from Venezuela." "This morning, following my orders, the United States Military Forces conducted a SECOND attack... against extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-terrorists," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. Trump's message is accompanied by a short color video showing a large boat at sea, motionless, followed by an explosion that completely destroys it. The video, which appears to be surveillance footage, shows at least one person inside the vessel. US naval and air forces deployed in the Caribbean already shot down a moving boat almost two weeks ago, killing 11 people, "narco-terrorists," according to the Republican president. "No U.S. forces were harmed in this attack," Trump said Monday, after once again warning drug traffickers that if they insist on transporting drugs, "WE WILL HUN THEM."

Estados Unidos lanzó un ataque contra una lancha y mató a tres personas a bordo en el Caribe, anunció este lunes el presidente Donald Trump, que aseguró que los fallecidos eran «narcoterroristas de Venezuela». «Esta mañana, siguiendo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Militares de los Estados Unidos llevaron a cabo un SEGUNDO ataque (…) contra cárteles de narcotráfico y narcoterroristas extraordinariamente violentos», indicó Trump en su red Truth Social. El mensaje de Trump es acompañado por un corto video en color en el que se ve una lancha de grandes dimensiones en alta mar, inmóvil, y luego una explosión que la destruye completamente. En el video, que parece ser de vigilancia, se observa al menos una persona dentro de la embarcación. Las fuerzas navales y aéreas estadounidenses desplegadas en el Caribe ya abatieron una lancha, esta en movimiento, hace casi dos semanas, con un balance de 11 muertos, «narcoterroristas» según el mandatario republicano. «Ninguna fuerza estadounidense resultó dañada en este ataque», aseguró Trump este lunes, tras advertir de nuevo a los narcotraficantes que si insisten en transportar drogas, «LOS CAZAREMOS».

U.S. President Donald Trump launched a second military strike against a speedboat suspected of transporting drugs off the coast of Venezuela, as part of his aggressive and controversial approach to combating organized crime. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4g4PFyi

El presidente de EE.UU., Donald Trump, emprendió un segundo ataque militar contra una lancha rápida sospechosa de transportar drogas desde las costas de Venezuela, como parte de su agresivo y cuestionado enfoque contra el crimen organizado. Lea más aquí: https://bit.ly/4g4PFyi

#ALERT President Donald Trump confirms a second US attack on a Venezuelan drug vessel in international waters in the Caribbean: "Resulted in three male terrorists killed."

#ALERTA El Presidente Donald Trump confirma un segundo ataque de Estados Unidos contra una embarcación de Venezuela que transportaba drogas en aguas internacionales del Caribe: "Resultó en 3 terroristas masculinos abatidos".

Friction between #Venezuela and #UnitedStates increases today, Monday, September 15. #DonaldTrump published information confirming the second attack in international waters against "Venezuelan narco-terrorists" from Maduro's Cartel of the Suns. https://instagram.com/reel/DOo8r_4jGWD/?igsh=bjQ0OTk1MWh3YWZx…

La fricción entre #Venezuela y #EstadosUnidos aumenta hoy Lunes 15 de septiembre #DonaldTrump publicó información confirmando el segundo ataque en aguas internacionales contra "narcoterroristas venezolanos" del Cartel De los Soles de Maduro https://instagram.com/reel/DOo8r_4jGWD/?igsh=bjQ0OTk1MWh3YWZx…

GÜIRIA, Venezuela (AP) — On Venezuela's Paria Peninsula, an idyllic stretch of Caribbean coast, it's an open secret that boats leaving its ports may be carrying drugs or fish. Residents say they don't know who owns the illegal cargo, but they know when business is good because people go out to eat, get their hair and nails done, and buy expensive meat. They also admit that none of this has happened since the U.S. military attacked one such vessel earlier this month. Few details are known about the deadly September 2 attack on a boat that the Trump administration says departed Venezuela carrying drugs and 11 members of the Tren de Aragua gang, fueling speculation. Fishermen on the peninsula told The Associated Press they don't entirely blame those who enter the illegal trade, since, these days, living solely from fishing in Venezuela means accepting a life of poverty. Fishing boats on the stunning peninsula have been reconfigured to smuggle migrants, human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and fuel. These so-called “other businesses” have flourished since the economic crisis that began in Venezuela a decade ago. “There is no revolution here,” said retiree Alberto Díaz, referring to the self-proclaimed socialist movement that the late Hugo Chávez launched in Venezuela in 1999 with the promise of improving the lives of the poor using the country's oil. “What we have here is hunger, sacrifice, pure pain.” Walking through the Güiria neighborhood, where one of the victims of the attack lived, Díaz lamented the decline of the local fishing industry, which once offered jobs with decent wages and a way for people to “feel happy.” Speculation Abounds Speculation about the attack continues to circulate in Venezuela, with people wondering who died and whether their deaths are part of a plan to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro. Some have questioned the government's claims that the video of the attack, released by U.S. President Donald Trump, was created using artificial intelligence and that a boat of that size cannot venture out to sea. But fishermen on the peninsula, who know their trade, immediately recognized some features of the boat in the video. They said it was a 12-meter-long fishing vessel known in Venezuela as a "peñero," with four powerful and expensive engines. They estimate each had at least 200 horsepower, five times more than what is typically used on local peñeros. "Fishing doesn't allow you to buy an engine like that," said fisherman Junior González during a break while repairing a boat along the coast of Guaca. Only a handful of the approximately two dozen sardine processing plants remain operating in this community after years of overfishing, failed restoration, and the country's overall crisis. González explained that the motors he uses cost between $4,000 and $5,000 each, while one of the type required to reach Trinidad and Tobago—the alleged destination of the attacked boat—sells for $15,000 to $20,000. “Small-Scale Drug Traffickers” The Trump administration has yet to explain how the military assessed the boat's cargo and determined the passengers' alleged gang affiliation before the attack. Last week, homeland security officials told members of Congress that the vessel was attacked several times after changing course. The attack, which came after a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean, marked a paradigm shift in how the United States is prepared to combat drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. The country's military killed three more people on Monday after attacking a second boat that Trump said was transporting drugs from Venezuela. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said authorities are already investigating the first attack, but has not provided further details. He, Maduro, and other government officials have repeatedly said that Venezuela is not a key player in the global drug trade. Several fishermen and a local leader who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation from the Maduro government told the AP that the boat attacked on September 2 departed Venezuela from San Juan de Unare, another fishing community on the peninsula's northern coast. They said the men on board were from that city, as well as from Güiria. While some fishermen supplement their income with drug trafficking out of desperation, Christopher Sabatini, a researcher at Chatham House in London, said the Trump administration “has completely exaggerated” the scope of their illicit activities by linking them to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and considering them an immediate threat to the United States. “If you look at [the boats], they could never make the journey through the Caribbean to the United States,” he said. “These are small-scale fishermen—and now, small-scale drug traffickers—who do not represent the core of the problem.” Everyone knows what happened. On Sunday, González, his father, and his brothers were the only fishermen on the shoreline, dotted with moored boats, as recent policy changes have restricted how often crews can fish for sardines. In communities like Guaca and El Morro de Puerto Santo, the new rules could reduce a fisherman's income to less than $100 a month, which isn't enough to cover a week's worth of groceries in Venezuela's current economy. Drug trafficking, in contrast, pays thousands at a time. "He has no food this week," said Kira Torres, pointing to a member of her husband's fishing crew, who returned to El Morro de Puerto Santo last week without any sardines, so they earned no money. Torres said the community has ruling party leaders who coordinate the delivery of government subsidies, including food rations. However, they haven't received them in months. She admitted that some fishermen on the peninsula turn to drug trafficking for "easy reales (money)" but ultimately do so because they have no other option. "Many make the mistake because they are in great need," Torres said, pointing to reasons such as hunger or having a sick family member. “Necessity compels everything, and since the government doesn't come here to help, what do you do?” The impact of illegal trade in different parts of the peninsula is clear: businesses quickly deduce that a drug trade has been successful when people suddenly pay for goods and services in US dollars and euros. They buy more than a handful of things at convenience stores and treat themselves to a hamburger and fries. Restaurant and bakery owner Jean Carlos Sucre has noticed this pattern in Güiria and worries about the future. He notes that the recent US attack has only worsened the “suffocating” conditions his business already faces due to Venezuela’s rampant inflation, which has caused a significant drop in his weekly sales. “Those who are working illegally aren’t setting sail for fear that the gringos will catch them, I imagine. Here, everyone knows what happened, but very few speak out… This week I sold 10 of the 90 hamburgers I was selling (before the attack).”___This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.

GÜIRIA, Venezuela (AP) — En la Península de Paria de Venezuela, un idílico tramo de costa caribeña, es un secreto a voces que los barcos que parten de sus puertos pueden transportar drogas o pescado.Los residentes dicen ignorar quién es el dueño de la carga ilegal, pero saben cuándo el negocio va bien porque la gente sale a comer, se arregla el cabello y las uñas y compra carne cara. También admiten que nada de esto ha sucedido desde que el Ejército de Estados Unidos atacó uno de esos barcos a principios de este mes.Se conocen pocos detalles sobre el mortal ataque lanzado el 2 de septiembre contra un barco que, según el gobierno del presidente Donald Trump, partió de Venezuela transportando drogas y a 11 miembros de la banda Tren de Aragua, lo que ha alimentado la especulación. Los pescadores de la península dijeron a The Associated Press que no culpan del todo a quienes ingresan al comercio ilegal, ya que, hoy en día, vivir solo de la pesca en Venezuela es aceptar una vida de pobreza. Los barcos pesqueros de la impresionante península han sido reconfigurados para contrabandear migrantes, traficar humanos, vida silvestre y combustible. Estos llamados “otros negocios” han florecido desde la crisis económica que inició en Venezuela hace una década. “Aquí no hay revolución”, dijo el jubilado Alberto Díaz, refiriéndose al autodenominado movimiento socialista que el difunto Hugo Chávez lanzó en Venezuela en 1999 con la promesa de mejorar la vida de los pobres utilizando el petróleo del país. “Aquí lo que hay es hambre, sacrificio, puro dolor”.Mientras caminaba por el barrio de Güiria, donde vivía una de las víctimas del ataque, Díaz lamentó el declive de la industria pesquera local, que una vez ofreció empleos con salarios dignos y una forma para que la gente pudiera “sentirse feliz”. Abundan las especulacionesLas especulaciones sobre el ataque siguen circulando en Venezuela, y la gente se pregunta quién murió y si sus muertes son parte de un plan para derrocar al presidente Nicolás Maduro. Algunas personas han cuestionado las afirmaciones de su gobierno de que el video del ataque, publicado por el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, fue creado con inteligencia artificial y que un barco de ese tamaño no puede aventurarse en alta mar.Pero los pescadores de la península, que conocen su oficio, reconocieron de inmediato algunas características del barco del video. Dijeron que era un barco pesquero de 12 metros de largo conocido en Venezuela como “peñero” con cuatro motores potentes y costosos. Calculan que cada uno de ellos tenía al menos 200 caballos de fuerza, una potencia cinco veces mayor que la que se usa típicamente en los peñeros locales.“La pesca no da para comprar un motor así”, dijo el pescador Junior González durante un descanso mientras reparaba un barco a lo largo de la costa de Guaca. Solo un puñado de las aproximadamente dos docenas de plantas procesadoras de sardinas siguen funcionando en esta comunidad tras años de sobrepesca, restauración fallida y la crisis general del país.González explicó que los motores que usa cuestan entre 4.000 y 5.000 dólares cada uno, mientras que uno del tipo que se requiere para llegar a Trinidad y Tobago —el presunto destino del barco atacado— se vende por 15.000 a 20.000 dólares. “Narcotraficantes a pequeña escala”El gobierno de Trump aún no ha explicado cómo el Ejército evaluó la carga del barco y determinó la supuesta afiliación de los pasajeros a la banda antes del ataque. La semana pasada, funcionarios de seguridad nacional dijeron a miembros del Congreso que la embarcación fue atacada varias veces después de haber cambiado de rumbo.El ataque, que se produjo después de una acumulación de fuerzas marítimas estadounidenses en el Caribe, marcó un cambio de paradigma en la forma en que Estados Unidos está dispuesto a combatir el narcotráfico en el hemisferio occidental. El ejército del país abatió a otras tres personas el lunes tras atacar un segundo barco que, según Trump, transportaba drogas desde Venezuela.El ministro venezolano del Interior, Diosdado Cabello, señaló que las autoridades ya investigan el primer ataque, pero no ha proporcionado más detalles. Él, Maduro y otros funcionarios del gobierno han dicho repetidamente que Venezuela no es un participante clave en el tráfico de drogas global. Varios pescadores y un líder local que pidieron no ser identificados por temor a represalias del gobierno de Maduro dijeron a la AP que el barco atacado el 2 de septiembre partió de Venezuela desde San Juan de Unare, otra comunidad pesquera en la costa norte de la península. Dijeron que los hombres a bordo eran de esa ciudad, así como de Güiria.Si bien algunos pescadores complementan sus ingresos con el narcotráfico por desesperación, Christopher Sabatini, investigador del Chatham House en Londres, dijo que el gobierno de Trump “ha exagerado completamente” el alcance de sus actividades ilícitas al vincularlos con la banda venezolana Tren de Aragua y considerarlos una amenaza inmediata para Estados Unidos.“Si miras (los barcos), nunca podrían hacer el viaje por el Caribe a Estados Unidos”, afirmó. “Estos son pescadores a pequeña escala —y ahora, narcotraficantes a pequeña escala— que no representan el núcleo del problema”. Todos saben lo que pasóEl domingo, González, su padre y sus hermanos eran los únicos pescadores en la costa, salpicada de barcos amarrados, ya que los recientes cambios de política han restringido la frecuencia con la que las tripulaciones pueden pescar sardinas. En comunidades como Guaca y El Morro de Puerto Santo, las nuevas reglas podrían reducir los ingresos de un pescador a menos de 100 dólares al mes, lo cual no es suficiente para cubrir una semana de comestibles en la economía actual de Venezuela.El narcotráfico, en contraste, paga miles de una vez.“No tiene comida esta semana”, dijo Kira Torres, señalando a un miembro de la tripulación de pesca de su esposo, que volvió la semana pasada a El Morro de Puerto Santo sin sardinas, por lo que no ganaron dinero.Torres dijo que la comunidad tiene líderes del partido gobernante que coordinan la entrega de subsidios gubernamentales, incluidas raciones de alimentos. Sin embargo, no las han recibido en meses.Ella admitió que algunos pescadores de la península recurren al narcotráfico por “reales (dinero) fácil”, pero en última instancia, lo hacen porque no tienen otra opción.“Muchos cometen el error porque tienen mucha necesidad”, dijo Torres, señalando razones como el hambre o tener un familiar enfermo. ” La necesidad obliga a todo, y como aquí no llega el gobierno a ayudar, ¿cómo hace uno?”El impacto del comercio ilegal en distintas partes de la península es claro: los negocios deducen rápidamente que un tráfico de drogas tuvo éxito cuando la gente de repente paga por bienes y servicios con dólares estadounidenses y euros. Compran más de un puñado de cosas en las tiendas de conveniencia y se dan el gusto de comer una hamburguesa con papas fritas.El dueño de un restaurante y panadería, Jean Carlos Sucre, ha notado este patrón en Güiria y le preocupa el futuro. Señala que el reciente ataque estadounidense solo ha empeorado las condiciones “asfixiantes” que ya enfrenta su negocio debido a la inflación galopante de Venezuela, lo que ha provocado una caída significativa en sus ventas semanales.“El que está trabajando ilícitamente no está zarpando por el miedo de que los gringos lo agarren, me imagino yo. Aquí todo el mundo sabe lo que pasó, pero muy pocos hablan… Esta semana yo vendí diez hamburguesas de las 90 que vendía (antes del ataque)”.___Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela increased last night after President Donald Trump confirmed that the US military sank a second boat in the southern Caribbean in three weeks in an attack that left three alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers dead. "All you have to do is look at the cargo that was scattered all over the ocean, large bags of cocaine everywhere," the president responded this Monday at the White House when questioned about evidence of the attack against an organized crime boat that was sunk today. Trump said that drugs are no longer arriving by ocean and that they will take similar actions on land and air. This is the sinking of a second boat coming from Venezuela through a kinetic attack orchestrated by the military forces of the US Army that is deployed in international waters, near the South American country. Three people, who according to Trump were drug traffickers, died during the attack and the president shared a video in which a boat can be seen stopped in the middle of the ocean. sea and was subsequently hit by a projectile. The president acknowledged that the "fishing business will be damaged," but considered that this was necessary to stop the flow of drugs to the United States. "If I were a fisherman, I wouldn't go out fishing," he said, due to suspicions that there may be drugs in the hold. The first attack On September 2, the United States carried out a similar attack in the Caribbean against another boat with eleven crew members who were killed, according to Trump on social media. Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the first direct attack against a drug vessel by saying that "stopping them is not enough" and the boat was attributed to the Tren de Aragua organization. The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the southern Caribbean in response to "drug trafficking from Venezuela," with the deployment of at least eight warships in the region, including a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, with more than 4,500 soldiers. Venezuela's response For his part, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said during a press conference that "there is an ongoing military aggression and that, according to international law, Venezuela has the right to respond." Venezuela is exercising its legitimate right to defense. "And we are exercising it fully; it is not a tension, it is an aggression across the board, a judicial aggression when they criminalize us, it is a political aggression with their daily threatening statements, it is a diplomatic aggression and it is an aggression on the way of a military nature," Maduro added. However, he expressed his confidence in diplomacy and communication to avoid a "great war" in the region, a warning that came even before the first aggression. Maduro reiterated that the oil-producing nation is in a phase of "unarmed struggle," but, he warned, if "it were attacked by the US empire," it would "immediately" move to "armed struggle." "We would exercise armed actions in the localities, regions, and places where necessary to confront the mercenary group or the invading Yankee (US) group," the Chavista leader anticipated, after confirming that 2.5 million soldiers and militiamen were deployed last Thursday as part of a defense plan for "peace and sovereignty."

La tensión entre Estados Unidos y Venezuela se incrementó esta pasada noche, después de que el presidente Donald Trump confirmara que las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses hundieron una segunda lancha en el caribe sur en tres semanas en un ataque en el que murieron tres presuntos narcotraficantes venezolanos."Todo lo que tienes que hacer es mirar la carga que estaba esparcida por todo el océano, grandes bolsas de cocaína por todas partes”, respondió este lunes en la Casa Blanca el mandatario al ser cuestionado sobre pruebas del ataque contra una lancha del crimen organizado que fue hundida hoy.Trump dijo que las drogas ya no están llegando por el Océano y que tomarán acciones similares por tierra y aire.Se trata del hundimiento de una segunda lancha proveniente de Venezuela por medio de un ataque cinético orquestado por las fuerzas militares del Ejército estadounidense que se encuentra desplazado en aguas internacionales, cerca del país sudamericano.Tres personas, quienes según Trump eran narcotraficantes, murieron durante el ataque y el presidente compartió un vídeo en el que se observa una lancha detenida en medio el mar y que posteriormente recibe un proyectil.El presidente reconoció que el "negocio de la pesca se verá dañado", pero consideró que eso es necesario para que parar el flujo de drogas a Estados Unidos. "Si fuera un pescador, yo no saldría a pescar", por las sospechas, dijo, de que puedan tener drogas en la bodega.El primer ataqueEl pasado 2 de septiembre, Estados Unidos había realizado un ataque similar en el Caribe contra otra lancha con once tripulantes que fueron eliminados, según aseguró Trump en sus redes sociales.El secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, justificó el primer ataque directo contra una embarcación de drogas diciendo que "detenerlos no es suficiente" y se le atribuyó la lancha a la organización del Tren de Aragua.Estados Unidos ha incrementado significativamente su presencia militar en el Caribe sur en respuesta al "narcotráfico proveniente de Venezuela", con el despliegue de al menos ocho buques de guerra en la región, incluyendo un submarino de ataque rápido nuclear, con más de 4,500 soldados.Respuesta de VenezuelaPor su parte, el presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, dijo durante una conferencia de prensa que "hay una agresión militar en curso y que, según el derecho internacional, Venezuela tiene derecho a responder"."Venezuela ejerce el legítimo derecho a la defensa y lo ejercemos plenamente; no es una tensión, es una agresión en toda la línea, una agresión judicial cuando nos criminalizan, es una agresión política con sus declaraciones amenazantes diarias, es una agresión diplomática y es una agresión en camino de carácter militar", agregó Maduro. No obstante, expresó su confianza en la diplomacia y en la comunicación para evitar una "gran guerra" en la región, una advertencia que llegó ya antes de la primera agresión. Maduro reiteró que la nación petrolera está en una fase de "lucha no armada", pero, advirtió, si "fuera agredida por el imperio estadounidense", pasaría "inmediatamente" a la "lucha armada". "Ejerceríamos las acciones armadas en las localidades, en las regiones y en los lugares donde fuera necesario para enfrentar al grupo mercenario o al grupo yanqui (estadounidense) invasor", anticipó el líder chavista, tras confirmar que 2,5 millones de militares y milicianos se desplegaron el pasado jueves, como parte de un plan de defensa por "la paz y soberanía".

With his threatening and avenging style, Trump warns: "If you transport drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you! You have been warned." Monday, September 15, 2025 | Updated 09/16/2025 07:25 AM The empire strikes again. Two weeks after the US sank an alleged "Venezuelan drug boat" in the Caribbean, American fury returned... This content is exclusive for subscribers. Subscribe and enjoy unlimited content. El Correo Digital Subscription €49.00 Biennial €19.00 Semi-annual subscription €49 Basic Plan El Correo Digital Subscription Special offer you'll only find here. Limited offer. No commitment. Cancel whenever you want. Automatic renewal at current rate. Venezuela United States

Con su estilo justiciero y amenazador, Trump avisa: «Si transportas drogas que pueden matar a estadounidenses, ¡te estamos cazando! Quedas advertido» Lunes, 15 de septiembre 2025 | Actualizado 16/09/2025 07:25h. El imperio ataca de nuevo. Dos semanas después de que EE UU hundiese una presunta «narcolancha venezolana» en el Caribe, la furia estadounidense volvió a ... Este contenido es exclusivo para suscriptores Suscríbete y disfruta de contenidos ilimitados Suscripción Digital El Correo€49.00Biannual€19.00Suscripción semestral 49€Basic PlanSuscripción Digital El CorreoOferta especial que sólo encontrarás aquí Oferta limitada. Sin permanencia. Cancela cuando quieras. Renovación automática según tarifa vigente. Venezuela Estados Unidos

Donald J. Trump, US President. AFP (AFP). Donald Trump, US President, announced this Monday that three people died in a new attack on a boat carrying "narco-terrorists from Venezuela." The president said this morning that, under his orders, US military forces carried out a new kinetic attack in Venezuela. The actions come weeks after a boat, allegedly carrying narco-terrorists, was attacked by US military forces in international waters. Trump and the US have stepped up pressure against the Cartel of the Suns, which the Trump administration links to the Chavista regime of Nicolás Maduro.

Donald J. Trump, presidente de EE. UU. AFP(AFP). Donald Trump, presidente de EE. UU., anunció este lunes que 3 personas murieron en nuevo ataque contra lancha con "narcoterroristas de Venezuela".El mandatario apuntó esta mañana, bajo las órdenes de él, fuerzas militares estadounidenses realizaron un nuevo ataque cinético en Venezuela".Las acciones ocurren semanas después de que una lancha, presuntamente narcoterrorista, fuera atacada por fuerzas militares de EE.UU. en aguas internacionales.Trump y EE. UU. redoblaron la presión contra el Cártel de los Soles, vinculado por el gobierno de Trump al régimen chavista de Nicolás Maduro.

Trump orders attack in the Caribbean: 3 dead. President Donald Trump reported that US forces attacked a boat in the Caribbean, leaving three dead, whom he described as Venezuelan narco-terrorists. Trump claimed it was the second attack against cartels and "violent narco-terrorists." He made the announcement through his social media channel. Watch Morning Lights with @ZosimoCamacho and @A_lAtaque. #MorningLights #Trump #Caribbean #Venezuela #USA

Trump ordena ataque en el Caribe: 3 muertos El presidente Donald Trump informó que fuerzas de EU atacaron una lancha en el Caribe, dejando tres muertos, a quienes calificó como narcoterroristas venezolanos. Trump aseguró que fue el segundo ataque contra cárteles y “narcoterroristas violentos”. El anuncio lo hizo a través de su red social. Mira Luces Mañaneras con @ZosimoCamacho y @A_lAtaque . #LucesMañaneras #Trump #Caribe #Venezuela #EEUU

The United States launched an attack on a boat in the Caribbean, killing three “narco-terrorists from Venezuela,” President Donald Trump announced Monday, shortly after Nicolás Maduro proclaimed that his country was the victim of an aggression of a “military nature.” “This morning, following my orders, the United States Military Forces carried out a SECOND attack (…) against drug cartels and extraordinarily violent narco-terrorists,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. Trump’s message is accompanied by a short color video in which a large boat can be seen at sea, motionless, and then an explosion that completely destroys it. In the video, which appears to be surveillance, at least one person can be seen inside the boat. US naval and air forces deployed in the Caribbean already shot down a boat, this one in motion, on September 2, with a death toll of 11, “narco-terrorists” according to the Republican president. “We were shocked to see "This boat," Trump later told reporters at the White House. "We've noticed there are no more boats" in the maritime zone patrolled by US vessels off the Venezuelan coast, Trump explained. "And you know what we're telling the cartels? We will stop them even if they come by land," he threatened. "An aggression on the way" This unprecedented deployment in the region, and the deadly attacks with no apparent prior warning, has alarmed neighboring countries. Maduro had assured before Trump's message that his government is prepared to repel any attack against its sovereignty. There is "an aggression on the way, of a military nature, and Venezuela is empowered by international law to confront it," the Venezuelan president told international journalists. "It is a military operation to intimidate and seek regime change, destabilize Venezuela, tear it into pieces as they did with Libya and Syria, and seize and steal our oil, gas, iron and gold, and that has not happened, nor will it happen," he said at the press conference. The Venezuelan government denies links to drug trafficking and maintains that the country is free of drug crops. According to Caracas, 56 tons of drugs have been seized during 2025. As part of his defense plan, last week Maduro ordered the deployment of at least 25,000 Armed Forces troops in states bordering Colombia and the Caribbean. He also launched a military "resistance" operation on Thursday with 2.5 million military personnel on "battle fronts" throughout the country. "These operations will continue to be carried out without prior notice, at any time, under my command and the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," the president said at a press conference held at a luxury hotel in Caracas. Communications "broken down" Without diplomatic relations since 2019, the United States and Venezuela resumed rapprochement this year through delegates to discuss issues such as prisoner exchanges and the deportation of Venezuelan migrants. But the increase in Maduro's reward and the military deployment destroyed the lines of communication with the United States. "Today I can announce that communications with the government of The United States is destroyed by them, with their bomb threats, (...) so they went from a stage of battered communication relations to destroyed," said Maduro. "They are not at zero" and only "a basic thread" remains with Ambassador John T. McNamara, in Bogotá, he clarified. The Venezuelan president also referred to the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as "the lord of death and war." This Monday, in an interview with Fox News, Rubio said that Maduro "poses a direct threat to the national security" of the United States as a result of the drug trafficking of which Washington accuses him.

Estados Unidos lanzó un ataque contra una lancha en el Caribe y mató a tres «narcoterroristas de Venezuela», anunció este lunes el presidente Donald Trump, poco después de que Nicolás Maduro proclamara que su país es víctima de una agresión de «carácter militar».«Esta mañana, siguiendo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Militares de los Estados Unidos llevaron a cabo un SEGUNDO ataque (…) contra cárteles de narcotráfico y narcoterroristas extraordinariamente violentos», indicó Trump en su red Truth Social.El mensaje de Trump es acompañado por un corto video en color en el que se ve una lancha de grandes dimensiones en alta mar, inmóvil, y luego una explosión que la destruye completamente.En el video, que parece ser de vigilancia, se observa al menos una persona dentro de la embarcación.Las fuerzas navales y aéreas estadounidenses desplegadas en el Caribe ya abatieron una lancha, esta en movimiento, el pasado 2 de septiembre, con un balance de 11 muertos, «narcoterroristas» según el mandatario republicano.«Nos sorprendió ver esta lancha», comentó luego Trump a periodistas en la Casa Blanca.«Hemos notado que ya no hay barcos» en la zona marítima que patrullan los buques estadounidenses, frente a las costas venezolanas, explicó Trump.«¿Y saben lo que les estamos diciendo a los carteles? Les vamos a parar también si vienen por tierra», amenazó.«Una agresión en camino»Este despliegue sin precedentes en la región, y los ataques mortíferos sin aparente aviso previo, ha provocado la alarma de países vecinos.Maduro había asegurado antes del mensaje de Trump que su gobierno está dispuesto a repeler cualquier ataque contra su soberanía.Hay «una agresión en camino, de carácter militar, y Venezuela está facultada por las leyes internacionales para hacer(le) frente», indicó el mandatario venezolano ante periodistas internacionales.«Es una operación militar para amedrentar y para buscar un cambio de régimen, desestabilizar a Venezuela, partirla en pedazos como hicieron con Libia y con Siria, y apoderarse y robarnos el petróleo, el gas, el hierro y el oro, y eso no ha ocurrido, ni va a ocurrir», sostuvo en la rueda de prensa.El gobierno de Venezuela niega los vínculos con el narcotráfico y defiende que el país está libre de narcocultivos. Según Caracas durante 2025 se han incautado 56 toneladas de drogas.Como parte de su plan de defensa, la semana pasada Maduro ordenó el despliegue de al menos 25,000 efectivos de la Fuerza Armada en estados fronterizos con Colombia y la zona del Caribe.También lanzó una operación militar de «resistencia» el jueves con 2,5 millones de efectivos militares en los «frentes de batalla» de todo el país.«Esos operativos se van a seguir realizando sin previo aviso, en cualquier momento, bajo mi mando y la conducción del Estado Mayor Superior Conjunto», dijo el gobernante en la rueda de prensa realizada en un lujoso hotel de Caracas.Comunicaciones «deshechas»Sin relaciones diplomáticas desde 2019, Estados Unidos y Venezuela retomaron acercamientos este año mediante delegados para tratar temas como el canje de prisioneros y la deportación de migrantes venezolanos.Pero el aumento de la recompensa de Maduro y el despliegue militar echó por tierra las vías de comunicación con Estados Unidos.«Hoy puedo anunciar que las comunicaciones con el gobierno de Estados Unidos están deshechas, por ellos, con sus amenazas de bombas, (…) así que pasaron de una etapa de relaciones maltrechas de comunicación, a deshechas», dijo Maduro.«No están en cero» y se mantiene apenas «un hilo básico» con el embajador John T. McNamara, en Bogotá, matizó.El mandatario venezolano se refirió además al secretario de Estado estadounidense, Marco Rubio, como «el señor de la muerte y la guerra».Este lunes, en una entrevista con Fox News, Rubio dijo que Maduro «plantea una amenaza directa a la seguridad nacional» de Estados Unidos a raíz del tráfico de drogas del cual le acusa Washington.

The United States attacked a second narco-terrorist vessel in the southern Caribbean. President Donald Trump announced this in a post on Truth Social. Three people, alleged members of the Cartel of the Suns, lost their lives in the incident. "This morning, at my direction, the United States Military Forces conducted a second attack (...) against extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-terrorists," Trump stated on the social media platform he owns. This incident marked the second US attack against Venezuela, following the initial attack on a boat in which eleven people lost their lives. Furthermore, the United States faces constant military surveillance by air and land. Trump Provides Details on the Attack on a Boat in the Caribbean During the signing of a memorandum in the Oval Office of the White House to deploy the National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee, President Donald Trump responded to questions about whether there was sufficient evidence that the second boat shot down in the Caribbean was carrying drugs and whether the deceased were drug traffickers. "We have proof. You just have to look at the cargo: large bags. You can see it, we have it on tape. We know the time they left, what they were carrying," he stated, without offering additional information. Trump also stated that, just as the fishing industry was affected, drugs entering by land will also be affected. "The first time we attacked a boat, there were hundreds of boats; now there's no one," he stated. He added that drug traffickers have claimed many lives in the United States. The United States deploys military assets in the region. The United States had previously deployed military assets in Puerto Rico with the aim of halting any advance of drug trafficking. These include the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, and ten F-35 fighter jets. For its part, Venezuela, through its Foreign Minister Yván Gil, stated that it "does not support a conflict" and that it "does not desire one." Even before the attack on the first vessel in the southern Caribbean, Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of War (Pentagon), justified the actions and refused to provide details, stating that "the United States had absolute and complete authority to carry them out." Pentagon Failed to Prove First Attack Targets Were Aragua Train Members. A CNN report released last week revealed that officials from the Department of Defense—now called the Department of War—did not present conclusive evidence that the targets of the first attack were members of the Aragua Train. Furthermore, those who provided the information could not accurately determine their route. Likewise, the US media reported that a source stated that the boat—which carried eleven people—turned around at some point, raising new questions about whether it posed an immediate threat. Marco Rubio warns that they will not allow a cartel to legitimize itself as a government In an interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that "they will not allow a cartel to operate or pose as a government within the hemisphere," referring to Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela and its alleged links to the Cartel of the Suns. Rubio also again addressed Nicolás Maduro and stated that "there is evidence, charges, and a criminal network behind him." In response to host Gillian Turner, he clarified that "there is no reward," as some mention, because there are no formal charges; however, there is an incentive to capture him. "Don't mess with Trump," warns US Congressman Carlos Giménez, a US Republican congressman, sent a message to the Venezuelan people, stating that "this action—referring to the second attack—demonstrates that President Trump is a man of action, not words, and that this president is not to be trifled with." The official maintains an opposition to the government of Nicolás Maduro, whom he has described as a "dictator," "criminal," and "drug trafficker." He has also asserted that his administration is illegal and represents a threat to the United States.

Estados Unidos atacó una segunda embarcación narcoterrorista en el sur del Caribe. Así lo dio a conocer el presidente Donald Trump mediante una publicación en Truth Social. Tres personas, presuntos integrantes del cartel de los Soles, perdieron la vida tras los hechos. "Esta mañana, por orden mía, las Fuerzas Militares de Estados Unidos realizaron un segundo ataque (...) contra cárteles de narcotráfico y narcoterroristas extraordinariamente violentos", indicó Trump en la red social de la que es propietario. Este incidente marcó el segundo ataque de Estados Unidos contra Venezuela, tras el ataque inicial a una lancha en el que once personas perdieron la vida. Además, el país norteamericano enfrenta una constante vigilancia militar por aire y tierra. Trump brinda detalles sobre el ataque a embarcación en el Caribe Durante la firma de un memorando en la Oficina Oval de la Casa Blanca para desplegar a la Guardia Nacional en Memphis (Tennessee), el presidente Donald Trump respondió a las interrogantes sobre si existía evidencia suficiente de que la segunda embarcación derribada en el Caribe transportaba droga y si los fallecidos eran narcotraficantes. "Tenemos pruebas. Solo hay que mirar el cargamento: grandes bolsas. Se puede ver, lo tenemos grabado. Sabemos a la hora que salieron, lo que llevaban", afirmó sin ofrecer información adicional. Trump afirmó también que, al igual que la industria pesquera se vio afectada, las drogas que ingresan por tierra también lo serán. "La primera vez que atacamos una embarcación había cientos de barcos; ahora no hay nadie", aseguró. Añadió que los narcotraficantes han costado muchas vidas en Estados Unidos. Estados Unidos despliega activos militares en la región Estados Unidos había desplegado previamente activos militares en Puerto Rico con el objetivo de frenar cualquier avance del narcotráfico. Entre estos se destacan el Grupo Anfibio Listo de Iwo Jima, la 22.ª Unidad Expedicionaria de Infantería de Marina y diez aviones de combate F-35. Por su parte, Venezuela, a través de su canciller Yván Gil, afirmó que "no apuestan por un conflicto" y que "no lo desean". Antes incluso del ataque a la primera embarcación en el sur del Caribe, Pete Hegseth, secretario del Departamento de Guerra —Pentágono—, justificó las acciones y se negó a brindar detalles, al afirmar que "Estados Unidos tenía autoridad absoluta y completa para llevarlas a cabo". Pentágono no probó que blancos del primer ataque fueran del Tren de Aragua Un informe de CNN, difundido la semana pasada, reveló que los funcionarios del Departamento de Defensa —ahora denominado Departamento de Guerra— no presentaron pruebas concluyentes de que los objetivos del primer ataque fueran miembros del Tren de Aragua. Además, quienes brindaron la información no pudieron determinar con exactitud su rumbo. De igual forma, el medio estadounidense informó que una fuente declaró que la embarcación —en la que viajaban once personas— dio la vuelta en un momento determinado, lo que plantea nuevas interrogantes sobre si representaba una amenaza inmediata. Marco Rubio advierte que no permitirán que un cartel se legitime como gobierno En una entrevista con Fox News, el secretario de Estado de EE. UU., Marco Rubio, aseguró que "no permitirán que un cartel opere o se haga pasar por gobierno dentro del hemisferio", en referencia al régimen de Nicolás Maduro en Venezuela y su presunta vinculación con el cartel de los Soles. Rubio también volvió a dirigirse a Nicolás Maduro y afirmó que "hay pruebas, cargos y una red criminal detrás de él". En respuesta a la conductora Gillian Turner, aclaró que "no existe una recompensa", como mencionan algunos, porque no hay ninguna acusación formal; sin embargo, sí hay un incentivo para capturarlo. "No se metan con Trump", advierte congresista de EE. UU. Carlos Giménez, congresista estadounidense del Partido Republicano, envió un mensaje al pueblo venezolano en el que aseguró que "esta acción —en referencia al segundo ataque— demuestra que el presidente Trump es una persona de acción, no de palabras, y que con este presidente no se puede jugar". El funcionario mantiene una postura contraria al gobierno de Nicolás Maduro, a quien ha calificado como "dictador", "criminal" y "narcotraficante". Además, ha asegurado que su administración es ilegal y representa una amenaza para Estados Unidos.

Trump announces a new US attack on a drug ship from Venezuela: at least three dead Maduro claims his country is exercising its "legitimate right to defense," but expresses his confidence in diplomacy to avoid a "major war."

Trump anuncia un nuevo ataque de EEUU a un barco con droga procedente de Venezuela: hay al menos tres muertos Maduro afirma que su país ejerce el "legítimo derecho a la defensa", pero muestra su confianza en la diplomacia para evitar una "gran guerra"

"It's not a matter of tension, it's an aggression." Following the attack on the Venezuelan ship that left three dead, Nicolás Maduro stated that "it's a diplomatic aggression" and emphasized: "Venezuela is empowered by international law to confront it."

"No es una tensión, es una agresión" Tras el ataque al barco venezolano que dejó 3 muertos, Nicolás Maduro señaló que "es una agresión diplomática" y remarcó: "Venezuela está facultada por las leyes internacionales para hacerle frente".

The United States attacked a boat in the Caribbean, killing three people. The Trump administration justified the attack by claiming that narco-terrorists were involved, but it presented no evidence of an imminent threat or identified any clear targets. International law experts warn that, even accepting Trump's justifications, these acts could be considered extrajudicial killings and represent a clear violation of international law. Leaders such as Gustavo Petro and Nicolás Maduro denounced these attacks as the murder of civilians and a multiple assault, highlighting a pattern of impunity that threatens the sovereignty and security of Latin American countries.

EE.UU. atacó una lancha en el Caribe y mató a tres personas. La administración de Trump justificó el ataque alegando que se trataba de narcoterroristas, pero no presentó pruebas de amenaza inminente ni identificó objetivos claros. Expertos en derecho internacional advierten que, incluso aceptando las justificaciones de Trump, estos hechos podrían considerarse ejecuciones extrajudiciales, y representan un claro incumplimiento del derecho internacional. Líderes como Gustavo Petro y Nicolás Maduro denunciaron estos ataques como asesinatos de civiles y agresión múltiple, evidenciando un patrón de impunidad que amenaza la soberanía y la seguridad de los países latinoamericanos.

Petro describes US attack on Venezuelan boat as "murder" The Colombian president describes the US attack that sank a second boat in the Caribbean Sea carrying alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers as "murder." FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE | WHATSAPP | TELEGRAM | 𝕏 | INSTAGRAM | VK | BLUESKY

Petro describe ataque de EEUU a lancha de Venezuela como “asesinato” El presidente de Colombia califica de “asesinato” el ataque de EE.UU. que hundió una segunda lancha en el mar Caribe con presuntos narcos venezolanos. SÍGUENOS EN YOUTUBE | WHATSAPP | TELEGRAM | 𝕏 | INSTAGRAM | VK | BLUESKY

This week on On the Radar: The United States carried out a second missile strike against a boat suspected of drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, killing three people, another sign of its increasingly aggressive anti-narcotics strategy. Follow the latest news on

Washington.- United States President Donald Trump asserted this Monday, September 15, that he has "proof" that the second alleged boat from Venezuela that was attacked in international waters was carrying "large bags of cocaine and fentanyl." "We have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo that was scattered across the ocean: large bags of cocaine and fentanyl everywhere. In addition, we have videotaped evidence of where they were leaving. We recorded it very carefully, because we knew you (the press) would come after us," Trump said in an address from the Oval Office. Trump confirms attack on another boat with alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers: three dead "We know the time they left and where they came from, what they had," Trump asserted, adding that after the two missile attacks on these small boats by the US Navy, "there are no more ships in the ocean." The president acknowledged that the "fishing business will be hurt," but considered it necessary to stem the flow of drugs to the United States. "If I were a fisherman, I wouldn't go fishing," he said, due to suspicions that drugs might be in the cargo hold. The United States destroyed a second boat in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela on Monday, allegedly carrying three Venezuelan drug traffickers, Trump announced. "This morning, at my direction, the United States Military Forces conducted a SECOND kinetic strike against identified and extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-terrorists in the Southern Command area of responsibility," the president detailed on the Truth Social platform. Trump asserted that the boat was in international waters transporting drugs and that, during the attack, three Venezuelan men were killed, whom he defined as "terrorists." The president added that no members of the US Armed Forces were injured in the operation. "ATTENTION! IF YOU'RE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE'RE GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN!" he concluded. The United States destroyed the first boat on September 2, which, according to Washington, was transporting drugs and eleven alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, something the government of Nicolás Maduro has flatly denied, in addition to condemning the attack. YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN The Caribbean | Dutch frigate arrives in Curaçao amid US anti-drug deployment Nicolás Maduro: "Relations with the United States are broken" Thousands of Venezuelans in the most disconnected areas of the country visit El Pitazo to get essential information for their daily lives. For them, we are the only source of verified news without political bias. Maintaining the operation of this independent media outlet is increasingly expensive and difficult. That's why we ask you to send us a donation to fund our work: we don't charge for reporting, but we hope readers will see the value of our work and make an increasingly necessary financial contribution. MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION It's completely secure and only takes a minute.

Washington.- El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, aseguró este lunes 15 de septiembre que tiene «pruebas» de que la segunda presunta lancha procedente de Venezuela que fue atacada en aguas internacionales transportaba «grandes bolsas de cocaína y fentanilo». «Tenemos pruebas. Todo lo que tienes que hacer es mirar el cargamento que estaba desperdigado por todo el océano: grandes bolsas de cocaína y fentanilo por todos lados. Además, tenemos evidencia grabada desde donde estaban saliendo. Hemos grabado con mucho cuidado, porque sabemos que ustedes (la prensa) irían tras nosotros», indicó Trump en una intervención desde el Despacho Oval. Trump confirma ataque a otra embarcación con presuntos narcotraficantes venezolanos: hay tres muertos «Sabemos a la hora que se fueron y de dónde salieron, lo que tenían», aseguró Trump, quien añadió que tras los dos ataques con proyectiles contra estas pequeñas embarcaciones por parte de la Armada estadounidense «ya no hay barcos en el océano». El presidente reconoció que el «negocio de la pesca se verá dañado», pero consideró que eso es necesario para que pare el flujo de drogas a Estados Unidos. «Si fuera un pescador, yo no saldría a pescar», por las sospechas, dijo, de que puedan tener drogas en la bodega. Estados Unidos destruyó este lunes una segunda lancha en el mar Caribe cerca a Venezuela que transportaba presuntamente a tres narcotraficantes venezolanos, anunció Trump. «Esta mañana, bajo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Militares de Estados Unidos llevaron a cabo un SEGUNDO ataque cinético contra cárteles del narcotráfico y narcoterroristas identificados y extraordinariamente violentos, en el área de responsabilidad del Comando Sur», detalló el mandatario en la plataforma Truth Social. Trump aseguró que la embarcación se encontraba en aguas internacionales transportando drogas y que, durante el ataque, murieron tres hombres de nacionalidad venezolana, a quienes definió como ‘terroristas’. El mandatario agregó que ningún miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas estadounidense resultó herido en la operación.»¡ATENCIÓN! SI TRANSPORTA DROGAS QUE PUEDEN MATAR A ESTADOUNIDENSES, ¡TE VAMOS A CAZAR!», concluyó. Estados Unidos destruyó una primera lancha el pasado 2 de septiembre que, según Washington, transportaba drogas y a once presuntos miembros del grupo criminal venezolano Tren de Aragua, algo que el Gobierno de Nicolás Maduro ha negado rotundamente, además de condenar el ataque.  TAMBIÉN TE PUEDE INTERESAR El Caribe | Fragata de Países Bajos llega a Curazao en medio de despliegue antinarcotráfico de EE. UU. Nicolás Maduro: «Las relaciones con Estados Unidos están deshechas» Miles de venezolanos en las zonas más desconectadas del país visitan El Pitazo para conseguir información indispensable en su día a día. Para ellos somos la única fuente de noticias verificadas y sin parcialidades políticas. Sostener la operación de este medio de comunicación independiente es cada vez más caro y difícil. Por eso te pedimos que nos envíes un aporte para financiar nuestra labor: no cobramos por informar, pero apostamos porque los lectores vean el valor de nuestro trabajo y hagan una contribución económica que es cada vez más necesaria.HAZ TU APORTEEs completamente seguro y solo toma 1 minuto.

US President Donald Trump released a video of what appears to be the second attack against a suspected "narco-terrorist" target, a euphemism used to harass Venezuela. Trump claims the ship was attacked in international waters. September 15, 2025 Time: 4:55 PM US President Donald Trump reported through his Truth Social platform that, "under his orders," US military forces carried out a "second kinetic attack" in the Caribbean Sea. READ ALSO: President Maduro: Communications with the US are "broken down" According to his statement, the target was a group of "confirmed Venezuelan narcoterrorists," in a narrative that seeks to present Venezuela as the alleged source of drug trafficking, despite the fact that the United Nations, the European Union, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) itself consider the South American nation free of drug production and transit. According to Trump's statement, the vessel was in international waters transporting illegal drugs when it was hit. Trump claimed that the operation resulted in the deaths of what he baselessly described as "terrorists." This announcement follows a previously reported first attack, framing it as part of a campaign to justify a broad military deployment in the Caribbean Sea, with a view to advancing on Venezuela. Minutes before Trump made the announcement, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro not only categorically denied Trump's version of events and demanded an investigation into the video used as evidence to justify the initial military action that reportedly killed 11 people. Maduro called on the US president to order a high-level investigation to clarify the origin of what he described as "false material." He underscored the seriousness of Trump's use of casualty figures—such as eleven dead—that, according to him, "no US agency has officially confirmed" beyond his statements on social media. "It was very serious that they put statements in his mouth that no US agency has confirmed," Maduro warned, pointing to the incident as a "serious precedent for media and political manipulation." The Venezuelan leader argued that the dissemination of this video had a clear objective: to falsely link Venezuela to drug trafficking, paint it as a narco-state, and thus create a pretext to justify a military aggression aimed at a change of government. "You can't play with lives, with the truth, or with the image of a country," he stressed. Maduro also argued that the episode is being presented as the spearhead of a media and psychological war orchestrated from Washington. He warned that this is not an isolated incident, but rather a tactic to fuel a narrative of chaos and violence in Venezuela, paving the way for future interventions. Author: teleSUR - NH Source: @realDonaldTrump - teleSUR IN THIS ARTICLE:

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, publico un video de lo que sería el segundo ataque contra un presunto blanco «narcoterrorista», eufemismo utilizado para hostigar a Venezuela. Trump señala que el barco habría sido atacado en aguas internacionales. 15 de septiembre de 2025 Hora: 16:55 El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, informó mediante su plataforma Truth Social que, «bajo sus órdenes», las fuerzas militares de EE.UU. llevaron a cabo un «segundo ataque cinético» en el mar Caribe. LEA TAMBIÉN: Presidente Maduro: comunicaciones con EE.UU. están “deshechas” Según su declaración, el objetivo fue un grupo de «narcoterroristas venezolanos confirmados», en una narrativa que pretende presentar a Venezuela como supuesta fuente del tráfico de estupefacientes, pese a que tanto Naciones Unidas, como la Unión Europea y la propia DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration o Administración de Control de Drogas), consideran a la nación sudamericana como país libre de producción y tránsito de estupefacientes. Según la publicación de Trump, la embarcación se encontraban en aguas internacionales transportando drogas ilegales cuando fue alcanzada. Trump afirmó que el operativo resultó en la muerte de lo que consideró sin ningún fundamento como «terroristas». Este anuncio sigue a un primer ataque reportado previamente, enmarcándolo dentro de una campaña de justificación de un amplio despliegue militar en el mar Caribe, con miras de avanzar sobre Venezuela. Minutos antes de que Trump hiciera el anuncio, el presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, no solo negó categóricamente la versión de los hechos presentada por Trump y exigió investigar el video utilizado como prueba para justificar la primera acción militar que habría terminado con la vida de 11 personas. Maduro reclamo al mandatario estadounidense que ordene una investigación de alto nivel para esclarecer el origen de lo que calificó como «material falso». Subrayó la gravedad de que Trump manejara cifras de bajas –como once muertos– que, según él, «ningún organismo de Estados Unidos ha confirmado» oficialmente más allá de sus declaraciones en redes sociales. «Fue muy grave que pusieran en su boca afirmaciones que ningún organismo de Estados Unidos ha confirmado», advirtió Maduro, señalando el incidente como un «grave precedente de manipulación mediática y política». El líder venezolano argumentó que la difusión de este audiovisual tendría un objetivo claro: vincular falsamente a Venezuela con el narcotráfico, pintarla como un narcoestado y así crear un pretexto para justificar una agresión militar destinada a un cambio de gobierno. «No se puede jugar con la vida, ni con la verdad, ni con la imagen de un país«, remarcó. Maduro, argumentó, además, que el episodio es presentado como la punta de lanza de una guerra mediática y psicológica orquestada desde Washington. Alertó que no se trata de un hecho aislado, sino de una táctica para alimentar una narrativa de caos y violencia en Venezuela, allanando el camino para intervenciones futuras. Autor: teleSUR - NH Fuente: @realDonaldTrump - teleSUR EN ESTA NOTA:

The United States attacked a second vessel in the Caribbean on Monday that was allegedly carrying three Venezuelan drug traffickers, who died, US President Donald Trump announced. The president added that no members of the US Armed Forces were injured in the operation. "This morning, at my orders, the United States Armed Forces conducted a second kinetic strike against extremely violent and positively identified drug cartels and narco-terrorists in the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility," Trump shared on his social network Truth Social. Trump has assured that the vessel was in international waters transporting drugs and that, during the attack, three men of Venezuelan nationality died, whom he defined as "terrorists." The White House tenant has stressed that he has "evidence" that the alleged drug boat was transporting "large bags of cocaine and fentanyl." "All you have to do is look at the cargo that was scattered across the ocean: large bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place. And we have videotaped evidence of where they were leaving. We recorded it very carefully because we knew you [the press] would come after us," he said later in an address from the Oval Office. "We know the time they left and where they came from, what they had," Trump said, adding that after the two missile attacks on these small boats by the US Navy, "there are no boats in the ocean anymore." The president acknowledged that the "fishing business will be hurt," but considered that this is necessary to stop the flow of drugs to the United States. "If I were a fisherman, I wouldn't go out fishing," he said, because of suspicions that they might have drugs in the hold. The US shot down the first boat on September 2, which Washington says was carrying drugs and eleven alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, something that Nicolás Maduro has strongly denied and condemned the attack. The latest attack comes amid the growing confrontation between the US and Venezuela following the US military deployment in the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. The Trump administration accuses Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, something the Caracas government denies, and has offered a reward of $50 million for information leading to the capture of the Venezuelan leader. For his part, Maduro stated on Monday that communications with the US have been "broken down" in the face of what he considers to be "aggression" by the North American country, and added that Venezuela is now "more prepared" if an "armed struggle" were to occur.

EEUU ha atacado este lunes una segunda embarcación en el mar del Caribe que transportaba presuntamente a tres narcotraficantes venezolanos, que han muerto, según ha anunciado el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump. El mandatario ha agregado que ningún miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas estadounidense resultó herido en la operación. "Esta mañana, bajo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos llevaron a cabo un segundo ataque cinético contra cárteles de narcotraficantes y narcoterroristas extraordinariamente violentos e identificados con certeza en la zona de responsabilidad del Comando Sur (SOUTHCOM)", ha compartido Trump en su red social Truth Social.Trump ha asegurado que la embarcación se encontraba en aguas internacionales transportando drogas y que, durante el ataque, murieron tres hombres de nacionalidad venezolana, a quienes ha definido como "terroristas". El inquilino de la Casa Blanca ha remarcado que tiene "pruebas" de que la supuesta narcolanch transportaba "grandes bolsas de cocaína y fentanilo".  "Todo lo que tenéis que hacer es mirar el cargamento que estaba desperdigado por el océano: grandes bolsas de cocaína y fentanilo por todos lados. Además, tenemos evidencia grabada desde donde estaban saliendo. Hemos grabado con mucho cuidado, porque sabemos que ustedes [la prensa] irían tras nosotros", indicó posteriormente en una intervención desde el Despacho Oval. "Sabemos a la hora que se fueron y de dónde salieron, lo que tenían", aseguró Trump, quien añadió que tras los dos ataques con proyectiles contra estas pequeñas embarcaciones por parte de la Armada estadounidense "ya no hay barcos en el océano". El presidente reconoció que el "negocio de la pesca se verá dañado", pero consideró que eso es necesario para que pare el flujo de drogas a Estados Unidos. "Si fuera un pescador, yo no saldría a pescar", por las sospechas, dijo, de que puedan tener drogas en la bodega.EEUU derribó una primera lancha el 2 de septiembre que, según Washington, transportaba drogas y a once presuntos miembros del grupo criminal venezolano Tren de Aragua, algo que Nicolás Maduro ha negado rotundamente, además de condenar el ataque. El último ataque se produce en medio del creciente enfrentamiento entre EEUU y Venezuela a raíz del despliegue militar estadounidense en el mar Caribe con el argumento de combatir el narcotráfico.La Administración de Trump acusa a Maduro de liderar el denominado Cartel de los Soles, algo que niega el Gobierno de Caracas, y ha ofrecido una recompensa de 50 millones de dólares por información que conduzca a la captura del mandatario venezolano.Por su parte, Maduro ha afirmado este lunes que las comunicaciones con EEUU están "deshechas" ante lo que considera una "agresión" del país norteamericano, y agregó que Venezuela está ahora "más preparada" si tocara una "lucha armada".

Updated Monday, September 15 2025 - 10:36 PM US President Donald Trump claimed this Monday that his country's armed forces have sunk, "in international waters," another boat with "three Venezuelan narco-terrorists on board" that was allegedly headed to North America. This is the second attack using drones in as many weeks, as the US Navy continues to deploy ships and aircraft in the area and as Washington's bellicose rhetoric escalates. The images show a small boat, stationary at the time, carrying some cargo, with one or two people visible but no movement on deck. And an explosion, most likely from the drone filming the footage from the sky. In a social media post, Trump said, "This morning, at my direction, United States Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-terrorists in the Southern Command area of responsibility. The attack occurred while these confirmed Venezuelan narco-terrorists were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) bound for the United States." Exactly the same modus operandi, the same sequence, and the same reasons he gave a few weeks ago when a drone sank a boat in the Caribbean, allegedly killing 11 people, whom the president described as "terrorists." The attack comes hours after the president did not rule out operations or bombings on the Venezuelan mainland. Asked before boarding the presidential helicopter this Sunday, Trump said he also didn't rule out trying to overthrow Nicolas Maduro. "We'll see what happens; I don't know if it's an option, but it's not an impossible option either. We'll see... Uh, he had an election that went badly. It was almost as corrupt as ours in 2020. You know what I mean. I wouldn't say his was much more corrupt, but it certainly was, but ours were too," he stated, using his usual narrative about the 2020 elections. In his message today, the Republican leader reiterated what he said last night. "These extremely violent drug cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. interests. The attack resulted in the deaths of three male terrorists in action. No members of the U.S. Armed Forces were injured. BEWARE! IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU! The illicit activities of these cartels have had DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American citizens. NOT ANYMORE," he warned. The sinking of the vessel comes as legal services at the State Department or the War Department, formerly the Department of Defense, have not prepared an argument as to what legal basis Washington has for bombing vessels in international waters. Or what evidence it had that the 11 deceased men were "terrorists." Several Senators have demanded evidence from the Executive, that he make public the intercepted communications that the State Department claims to have, and a response, while civil associations speak of "extrajudicial executions." "ATTENTION: IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU! The illicit activities of these cartels have had devastating consequences for American communities for decades, killing millions of American citizens. Not anymore!" the White House said in a message imitating the president's style, and sharing images of the destruction. The White House maintains that having defined different drug trafficking organizations as terrorists is sufficient to proceed against them using any means, including the Army. And that it is "legitimate defense" since they posed "an imminent threat", hence the language in the president's post. Something that, however, clashes with decades of very different procedures and numerous internal legal reports against it. To this day, it is not known exactly where any of the boats were bombed, nor the identities of those killed. Nor is it known what cargo they had, nor their presumed destination, which Trump maintains was US territory. Despite the enormous distance, it is unusual for cartels to use this route to reach the US directly. And it would be especially strange if there were 11 people on board a boat trying to reach the US, since drug traffickers never operate that way. They prefer fewer people and more cargo, especially if the boats are very small. Like the one that sank today, if it only had three people on board.

Actualizado Lunes, 15 septiembre 2025 - 22:36El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, ha asegurado este lunes que las fuerzas armadas de su país han hundido, "en aguas internacionales", una nueva lancha con "tres narcoterroristas venezolanos a bordo" que se dirigía, presuntamente, a Norteamérica. Es el segundo ataque usando drones en pocas semanas, mientras la Marina estadounidense sigue desplegando navíos y aviones en la zona y con la retórica bélica de Washington escalando. Las imágenes muestran una embarcación pequeña, parada en ese momento, con algo de cargamento, con una o dos personas a la vista pero sin movimiento en cubierta. Y una explosión, con toda probabilidad por la acción del dron que graba las imágenes desde el cielo.En un mensaje en red social, Trump indicado que "esta mañana, bajo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Militares de EEUU llevaron a cabo un SEGUNDO Ataque Cinético contra cárteles del narcotráfico y narcoterroristas, identificados positivamente y extraordinariamente violentos, en el área de responsabilidad del Comando Sur. El ataque ocurrió mientras estos narcoterroristas venezolanos, confirmados, se encontraban en aguas internacionales transportando narcóticos ilegales (¡UN ARMA MORTAL QUE ENVENENA A LOS ESTADOUNIDENSES!) con destino a EEUU". Exactamente el mismo modus operandi, la misma secuencia y las mismas razones que las que dio hace unas semanas, cuando un dron hundió una embarcación en el Caribe matando presuntamente a 11 personas, calificadas como "terroristas" por el presidente.El ataque llega horas después de que el presidente no descartara operaciones o bombardeos en territorio continental venezolano. Preguntado antes de subir al helicóptero presidencial este domingo, Trump digo que tampoco descartaba intentar derrocar a Nicolas Maduro. "Ya veremos qué pasa; no sé si es una opción, pero tampoco una opción imposible. Ya veremos... Eh, tuvo unas elecciones que salieron mal. Fueron casi tan corruptas como las nuestras de 2020. Saben a qué me refiero. No diría que las suyas fueron mucho más corruptas, pero sin duda lo fueron, pero las nuestras también lo fueron", afirmó con su narrativa habitual sobre los comicios de 2020.En su mensaje de hoy, el líder republicano ha insistido en lo dicho anoche. "Estos cárteles del narcotráfico extremadamente violentos REPRESENTAN UNA AMENAZA para la Seguridad Nacional, la Política Exterior y los intereses vitales de EEUU. El ataque resultó en la muerte de tres terroristas varones en combate. Ningún miembro de las Fuerzas Armadas de EEUU resultó herido. ¡ATENCIÓN! SI TRANSPORTA DROGAS QUE PUEDEN MATAR A ESTADOUNIDENSES, ¡LO ESTAMOS CAZANDO! Las actividades ilícitas de estos cárteles han tenido CONSECUENCIAS DEVASTADORAS EN LAS COMUNIDADES ESTADOUNIDENSES DURANTE DÉCADAS, matando a millones de ciudadanos estadounidenses. YA NO", avisó.El hundimiento de la embarcación llega mientras los servicios jurídicos del Departamento de Estado o del Departamento de Guerra, antes de Defensa, no han elaborado una argumentación sobre qué base legal tiene Washington para bombardear embarcaciones en aguas internacionales. O qué pruebas tenía de que los 11 hombres fallecidos eran "terroristas". Varios Senadores han exigido al Ejecutivas pruebas, que haga públicas las comunicaciones interceptadas que el Departamento de Estado asegura tener, y una respuesta, mientras las asociaciones civiles hablan de "ejecuciones extrajudiciales"."ATENCIÓN: SI TRANSPORTA DROGAS QUE PUEDEN MATAR A ESTADOUNIDENSES, ¡LO ESTAMOS PERSIGUIENDO! Las actividades ilícitas de estos cárteles han tenido consecuencias devastadoras para las comunidades estadounidenses durante décadas, matando a millones de ciudadanos estadounidenses. ¡Ya no!", ha dicho la Casa Blanca en un mensaje imitando el estilo del presidente, y compartiendo las imágenes de la destrucción.La Casa Blanca sostiene que al haber definido como terroristas a diferentes organizaciones de narcotraficantes es suficiente para proceder contra ellas usando cualquier medio, incluyendo el Ejército. Y que es "legítima defensa" ya que suponían "una amenaza inminente", de ahí el lenguaje en el post del presidente. Algo que sin embargo choca con décadas de procedimientos muy diferentes y numerosos informes jurídicos internos en contra.A día de hoy no se conoce con exactitud dónde han sido bombardeadas ninguna de las embarcaciones o las identidades de los fallecidos. Tampoco qué cargamento tenían y su presunto destino, que Trump sostiene que era territorio estadounidense. A pesar de la enorme distancia, de lo poco habitual es que los cárteles uses en esa ruta para llegar directamente a EEUU. Y especialmente, de lo extraño que sería que hubiera 11 personas a bordo de una lancha intentando llegar a EEUU, ya que los traficantes de droga nunca operan así. Prefieren menos gente y más carga, sobre todo si las lanchas son muy pequeñas. Como la hundida hoy, si sólo tenía tres personas a bordo.

A few minutes ago, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he carried out a new attack against a vessel allegedly loaded with drugs. The operation took place, according to Trump, in international waters. In addition, the president assured that the boat left Venezuela and was intercepted by troops that were deployed for several days in the southern Caribbean Sea. Amid the tension with the Venezuelan regime, which the Trump administration accuses of leading the drug trafficking organization Cartel de los Soles, the US Armed Forces continues to carry out operations at the limit of the waters of the country led by Nicolás Maduro. "This morning, at my orders, the United States Armed Forces carried out a SECOND kinetic strike against extraordinarily violent and positively identified drug cartels and narco-terrorists in the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility." He added that "the attack occurred while these confirmed narco-terrorists from Venezuela were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics." Which he called "a deadly weapon that poisons Americans." According to Trump, the alleged drugs that were housed on the boat had "destination for the United States": "These extremely violent drug cartels POSE A THREAT to the national security, foreign policy, and vital interests of the United States." He also confirmed that three people died in the attack by the Armed Forces: "The attack resulted in the deaths of three male terrorists in combat. No members of the United States Armed Forces were injured in this attack." Finally, he issued a warning: "If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are looking for you! The illicit activities of these cartels have had devastating consequences for American communities for decades, causing the deaths of millions of American citizens. Not anymore."

Hace algunos minutos el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, confirmó que llevó a cabo un nuevo ataque contra una embarcación presuntamente cargada con droga.El operativo se llevó a cabo, según Trump, en aguas internacionales. Además, el mandatario aseguró que el bote salió de Venezuela y fue interceptado por las tropas que fueron desplegadas desde hace varios días en el sur del mar Caribe.En medio de la tensión con el régimen venezolano, al que la administración Trump acusa de liderar la organización narcotraficante Cartel de los Soles, las Fuerzas Armadas de EE. UU. sigue llevando a cabo operativos en el límite de las aguas del país liderado por Nicolás Maduro."Esta mañana, bajo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos llevaron a cabo un SEGUNDO ataque cinético contra cárteles de narcotraficantes y narcoterroristas extraordinariamente violentos e identificados con certeza en la zona de responsabilidad del Comando Sur (SOUTHCOM)".Y agregó que "el ataque se produjo mientras estos narcoterroristas confirmados de Venezuela se encontraban en aguas internacionales transportando narcóticos ilegales".A lo que denominó como "un arma mortal que envenena a los estadounidenses".Según Trump, la presunta droga que iba alojada en la embarcación tenía "destino a los Estados Unidos":"Estos cárteles de narcotraficantes extremadamente violentos SUPONEN UNA AMENAZA para la seguridad nacional, la política exterior y los intereses vitales de los Estados Unidos".Asimismo, confirmó que tres personas murieron en el ataque de las Fuerzas Armadas: "El ataque se saldó con la muerte de tres terroristas varones en combate. Ningún miembro de las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos resultó herido en este ataque".Finalmente, lanzó una advertencia: "si transportas drogas que pueden matar a estadounidenses, ¡Te estamos buscando! las actividades ilícitas de estos cárteles han tenido consecuencias devastadoras para las comunidades estadounidenses durante décadas, causando la muerte de millones de ciudadanos estadounidenses. Ya no más".

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. military attacked another boat transporting drugs from Venezuela. Three people on board were killed as a result. “The attack was launched while these confirmed narco-terrorists from Venezuela were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics (a deadly weapon that poisons Americans) bound for the United States,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. And he added: “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels pose a threat to United States national security, foreign policy, and vital interests. The attack resulted in three male terrorists killed in action. No U.S. forces were injured in this attack.” Trump Announces Three Dead in New Attack on Boat Carrying “Venezuelan Narco-Terrorists” Speaking to reporters, the US president said that General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had shown him footage of the second attack. Asked what evidence the United States had that the boat was carrying drugs, Trump replied: “We have evidence. Just look at the cargo that was scattered across the ocean: large bags of cocaine and fentanyl everywhere.” He also hinted that US military strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea could expand to land. He said the U.S. military is seeing fewer vessels in the Caribbean since carrying out the first strike earlier this month, while asserting that cartels are still smuggling drugs overland. “We are telling the cartels right now that we are going to stop them too,” Trump said. “When they come overland, we are going to stop them just like we stop the boats... But maybe by talking about it a little bit, it won’t happen. If it doesn’t happen, that’s good,” he added. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on his Twitter account that the United States “will track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere at times and places of our choosing.” The White House also posted a short video of the attack on social media. On Tuesday, Trump said his country had “eliminated” a total of three vessels off Venezuela, a day after confirming a second US attack on drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean. “We actually eliminated three vessels, not two, but [you] saw two,” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for the United Kingdom for a state visit. During that time, a reporter asked him what message he wanted to send to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Trump said: “Stop sending drugs to the United States.” The attacks of recent days have caused an increase in tension even at the national level, where some congressmen argued that the United States is not facing a direct threat from Caracas and lacks sufficient legal basis to bomb the vessels since they are not “military objectives” and the countries involved are not at war. With information from AP and AFP. United States Donald Trump Narcos

El presidente Donald Trump anunció este lunes que el ejército de Estados Unidos atacó otro bote que transportaba droga desde Venezuela. Como resultado, murieron tres personas que iban a bordo de la embarcación.“El ataque se lanzó mientras estos narcoterroristas confirmados de Venezuela estaban en aguas internacionales transportando narcóticos ilegales (un arma mortal que envenena a los estadounidenses) con destino a Estados Unidos”, escribió Trump en su cuenta de Truth Social. Y sumó: “Estos cárteles de tráfico de drogas extremadamente violentos representan una amenaza para la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos, para la política exterior y los intereses vitales. El ataque resultó en tres terroristas masculinos muertos en acción. Ninguna fuerza estadounidense resultó herida en este ataque”.Trump anuncia tres muertos en nuevo ataque contra lancha con "narcoterroristas de Venezuela"En diálogo con la prensa, el mandatario estadounidense dijo que el general Dan Caine, jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto, le había mostrado imágenes del segundo ataque.Consultado acerca de qué pruebas tenía Estados Unidos de que el bote transportaba drogas, Trump respondió: “Tenemos pruebas. Sólo hay que ver la carga que quedó esparcida por todo el océano: grandes bolsas de cocaína y fentanilo por todas partes”.Asimismo, insinuó que los ataques militares de Estados Unidos contra presuntos traficantes de drogas en el mar podrían expandirse a tierra. Indicó que el ejército estadounidense está viendo menos embarcaciones en el Caribe desde que realizó el primer ataque a principios de este mes, al tiempo que afirmó que los cárteles todavía están traficando drogas por tierra.“Les estamos diciendo a los cárteles ahora mismo que también los vamos a frenar”, señaló Trump. “Cuando vengan por tierra, los vamos a parar de la misma manera que paramos los botes... Pero tal vez al hablar un poco de ello, no sucederá. Si no sucede, eso es bueno”, agregó.Por su parte, el secretario de Defensa estadounidense, Pete Hegseth, publicó en su cuenta de X que Estados Unidos “los rastreará, matará y desmantelará sus redes en todo nuestro hemisferio, en los momentos y lugares que elijamos”. La Casa Blanca también publicó un breve video del ataque en redes sociales.Este martes, Trump aseguró que su país “eliminó” tres embarcaciones en total frente a Venezuela, un día después de confirmar un segundo ataque estadounidense contra lanchas que traficaban droga en el Caribe.“De hecho eliminamos tres embarcaciones, no dos, pero [ustedes] vieron dos”, sostuvo Trump a periodistas en la Casa Blanca antes de partir hacia el Reino Unido para una visita de Estado.En ese marco, un periodista le preguntó qué mensaje quería enviar al presidente venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, y Trump precisó: “Dejen de enviar drogas a Estados Unidos”.Los ataques de los últimos días provocaron un aumento de la tensión incluso a nivel nacional, donde algunos congresistas alegaron que Estados Unidos no se encuentra ante una amenaza directa por parte de Caracas y carece de base legal suficiente para bombardear los buques dado que no son “objetivos militares” y los países involucrados no están en guerra.Con información de AP y AFP.Estados UnidosDonald TrumpNarcos

For the second time in less than two weeks, the Donald Trump administration confirmed it had carried out a lethal attack against a vessel in international waters that was allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela to the United States. Despite numerous questions about the legality of an initial military operation that claimed the lives of 11 people aboard a speedboat in early September, Trump himself announced again on Monday the new attack carried out by the Armed Forces, which this time left three dead. Washington claims that these attacks, carried out as part of its military deployment in international waters in the Caribbean, are aimed at combating drug trafficking, which it claims is emanating from the South American country. The Venezuelan government, which did not comment on this second attack, maintains that the White House's real objective is none other than to force "regime change" in Caracas. This is what is known about the second deadly US attack on alleged Venezuelan vessels dedicated to drug trafficking. What did Trump say? Regarding the second attack on alleged drug vessels from Venezuela? "This morning, at my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted a second kinetic strike against positively identified and extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-terrorists in the Southern Command area of responsibility," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "The attack occurred while these confirmed Venezuelan narco-terrorists were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics bound for the United States," he added without providing further details or evidence for his accusations. The president assured that the attack resulted in the death of three "terrorist" men in combat and that no member of the US Armed Forces was injured in the operation. His message was accompanied by a short color video in which a large boat is seen stationary on the high seas, and then an explosion that completely destroys it. Trump again warned drug trafficking groups that his government would continue to "hunt" them down if they continue trying to transport drugs to his country. "These Extremely violent drug cartels pose a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and vital U.S. interests (...) Attention! If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you! he wrote. "These cartels' illicit activities have had devastating consequences on American communities for decades, killing millions of American citizens. Not anymore," he concluded. What evidence does the U.S. have to claim the second vessel attacked was transporting drugs from Venezuela to the U.S.? Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later in the day, Trump claimed General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had shown him footage of the latest attack. Asked what evidence he had that the vessel was carrying drugs, Trump replied: "We have evidence. Just look at the cargo scattered across the ocean: large bags of cocaine and fentanyl everywhere." Trump also suggested that U.S. military strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea could extend to land. He added that the U.S. military is seeing fewer vessels in the Caribbean since the first attack earlier this month. However, he added that the cartels continue to traffic drugs overland, seeming to suggest their attacks could expand. "We're telling the cartels right now that we're going to stop them, too," he said. “When they come by land, we will stop them the same way we stopped the boats... But maybe just by talking about it a little, it won't happen. If it doesn't, that's great.” Although the Venezuelan government has not yet commented on this second attack, it did previously deny that the group that died in the first operation two weeks ago belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, as Washington claims. Trump, however, did not specify whether the Tren de Aragua was also the target of Monday's attack. “We have conducted our investigations here in our country and the families of the missing persons are there, claiming their relatives. When we asked in the towns, none of them were from the Tren de Aragua, nor were they drug traffickers, nor were they carrying drugs,” Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said last Friday. “A murder was committed against a group of citizens using lethal force,” Cabello added, questioning how the US was able to determine if there were drugs on the boat and why, if true, they had not been found. His statements confirming the attack contradicted Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez, who had said hours after the first attack that the images and video presented by the US were created with artificial intelligence. What were the reactions to this second attack and what questions were raised about its legality? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured that this new attack is only part of broader US efforts to attack the cartels. “We will stop at nothing to defend our homeland and our citizens. We will track them down, we will eliminate them, and we will dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere, at the time and place of our choosing,” he wrote. However, several senators, both Democrats and Republicans, have questioned the legality of the measure, considering it a possible overreach of executive authority, in part due to the use of the armed forces for law enforcement purposes. Adam Schiff, a Democratic senator from California, said on Monday that he is drafting a war powers resolution aimed at preventing US troops from carrying out further attacks until Congress authorizes it. formally.“These unlawful killings just put us at risk,” Schiff said, adding that they could incite another country to attack US forces without adequate justification.“I don’t want to see us go to war with Venezuela because the president is just blowing up boats without any justification,” Schiff said.Human rights groups have also expressed concern that the attacks violate international law. The White House has offered little information about how the operations were carried out or under what legal authorities they were carried out.“Let’s be clear: this could be an extrajudicial execution, which is murder,” said Daphne Eviatar, director of the Security with Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA. “There is absolutely no legal justification for this military attack,” he stated bluntly. How does the Trump administration justify attacks on allegedly Venezuelan vessels in international waters? The Trump administration justifies its military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the US. After the first attack, it cited self-defense as a legal argument, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that drug cartels “pose an immediate threat” to the country. US officials said the attack earlier this month targeted the Tren de Aragua (Aragua Train) and that more military strikes against drug trafficking targets are on the way as Washington seeks to “declare war” on the cartels. The White House has specifically criticized Nicolás Maduro for the scourge of illegal drugs in US communities. “We are not going to allow a cartel, operating or posing as a government, to operate in our own hemisphere,” Rubio said Monday on Fox News. After the first attack, the US Foreign Minister stated that Trump "I would use the U.S. military and all elements of U.S. power to attack the cartels that attack the U.S." The Associated Press and other media outlets reported in recent days that the first boat had already turned around and was heading back to shore when it was hit. However, Rubio said Monday that he didn't know if that information was accurate. "What needs to start happening is some of these boats getting destroyed," Rubio said. "We cannot live in a world where, all of a sudden, they do a 180-degree turn and, therefore, we can no longer touch them." What did the Venezuelan government say about the US shortly before this new attack was reported? Hours before this second attack was reported, Maduro lashed out at the US government and accused it of using drug trafficking accusations as an excuse to justify a military operation whose intentions are to "intimidate and seek regime change" in the South American country. The Venezuelan leader also condemned what he described as an operation in which 18 marines raided a Venezuelan fishing boat in the Caribbean last weekend. "What were they looking for? Tuna? What were they looking for? A kilo of snapper? Who gave the order in Washington for a missile destroyer to send 18 armed marines to assault a tuna boat?" he asked. "They were looking for a military incident. If the tuna boats had had some kind of weaponry and had used it while were in Venezuelan jurisdiction, it would have been the military incident that the warmongers are looking for, extremists who seek a war in the Caribbean," he stated. "We have not fallen into provocations, nor will we fall into them," he added before assuring that Venezuela is "more prepared" for an "armed struggle" in case the country were attacked by Washington. See also: Video Video of the new US military attack against a Venezuelan vessel in international waters In alliance with

Por segunda vez en menos de dos semanas, el gobierno de Donald Trump confirmó haber realizado un ataque letal contra una embarcación en aguas internacionales que, supuestamente, transportaba drogas desde Venezuela con destino a Estados Unidos.Pese a los numerosos cuestionamientos recibidos acerca de la legalidad de un primer operativo militar que a inicios de septiembre se cobró la vida de 11 personas a bordo de una lancha rápida, el propio Trump fue quien volvió a anunciar este lunes el nuevo ataque llevado a cabo por las Fuerzas Armadas y que, en esta ocasión, dejó un balance de tres muertos.Washington asegura que estos ataques, realizados en el marco de su despliegue militar en aguas internacionales del Caribe, tienen como objetivo combatir el narcotráfico que asegura sale del país sudamericano.El gobierno venezolano, que no se pronunció sobre este segundo ataque, mantiene que el objetivo real de la Casa Blanca no es otro que forzar “un cambio de régimen” en Caracas.Esto es lo que se sabe del segundo ataque mortal de EEUU sobre supuestas embarcaciones venezolanas dedicas al tráfico de drogas.¿Qué dijo Trump sobre el segundo ataque sobre supuestas embarcaciones de drogas de Venezuela?"Esta mañana, bajo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Armadas de EEUU llevaron a cabo un segundo ataque cinético contra carteles del narcotráfico y narcoterroristas, identificados positivamente y extraordinariamente violentos, en el área de responsabilidad del Comando Sur”, escribió Trump en su red Truth Social.“El ataque ocurrió mientras estos narcoterroristas venezolanos, confirmados, se encontraban en aguas internacionales transportando narcóticos ilegales con destino a EEUU", agregó sin aportar mayores detalles o pruebas sobre sus acusaciones.El presidente aseguró que el ataque resultó en la muerte de tres hombres "terroristas" en combate y que ningún miembro de las Fuerzas Armadas de EEUU resultó herido en la operación.Su mensaje estuvo acompañado de un corto video en color en el que se ve una lancha de grandes dimensiones en alta mar, inmóvil, y después una explosión que la destruye completamente.Trump volvió a advertir a grupos del narcotraficante de que su gobierno los seguiría “cazando” de continuar intentado transportar droga a su país."Estos carteles del narcotráfico extremadamente violentos representan una amenaza para la seguridad nacional, la política exterior y los intereses vitales de EEUU (...) ¡Atención! Si transportan drogas que pueden matar a estadounidenses, ¡los estamos cazando!", escribió."Las actividades ilícitas de estos cárteles han tenido consecuencias devastadoras en las comunidades estadounidenses durante décadas, matando a millones de ciudadanos estadounidenses. Ya no", concluyó.¿Qué pruebas tiene EEUU para asegurar que la segunda embarcación atacada transportaba drogas de Venezuela a EEUU?En declaraciones a la prensa en la Oficina Oval horas más tarde, Trump afirmó que el general Dan Caine, jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto, le había mostrado imágenes del último ataque.Al ser preguntado sobre qué evidencia tenía de que el buque transportaba drogas, Trump respondió: "Tenemos pruebas. Basta con mirar el cargamento esparcido por todo el océano: grandes bolsas de cocaína y fentanilo por todas partes".Trump también sugirió que los ataques militares estadounidenses contra presuntos narcotraficantes en el mar podrían extenderse a tierra.Añadió que el ejército estadounidense está viendo menos buques en el Caribe desde el primer ataque a principios de este mes. Sin embargo, añadió que los cárteles siguen traficando drogas por tierra, por lo que pareció sugerir que sus ataques podrían ampliarse."Les estamos diciendo a los cárteles ahora mismo que también vamos a detenerlos", declaró. “Cuando vengan por tierra, los detendremos de la misma manera que detuvimos los barcos... Pero quizás con solo hablarlo un poco, no suceda. Si no sucede, qué bueno”.Aunque el gobierno de Venezuela no se pronunció hasta el momento sobre este segundo ataque, sí negó anteriormente que el grupo que murió en el primer operativo hace dos semanas perteneciera a la pandilla Tren de Aragua, como asegura Washington.Trump, sin embargo, no especificó si el Tren de Aragua también fue el objetivo del ataque de este lunes.“Nosotros hemos hecho nuestras investigaciones aquí en nuestro país y ahí están las familias de las personas desaparecidas que reclaman a sus parientes. Cuando preguntamos en los pueblos, ninguno es ni del Tren de Aragua, ni es narcotraficante ni llevaba drogas”, dijo el pasado viernes el ministro de Interior venezolano, Diosdado Cabello."Se ha cometido un asesinato contra un grupo de ciudadanos utilizando fuerza letal", añadió Cabello, cuestionando cómo EEUU pudo determinar si había drogas en el barco y por qué no, en caso de ser cierto, habían sido arrestados.Sus declaraciones confirmando el ataque contradijeron al ministro de Comunicación, Freddy Ñáñez, quien había dicho horas después del primer ataque que las imágenes y el video presentado por EEUU fueron creados con inteligencia artificial.¿Qué reacciones hubo tras este segundo ataque y qué cuestionamientos recibió sobre su legalidad?El secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth, aseguró que este nuevo ataque solo forma parte de esfuerzos más amplios de EEUU para atacar a los carteles.“No nos detendremos ante nada para defender nuestra patria y a nuestros ciudadanos. Los rastrearemos, los eliminaremos y desmantelaremos sus redes en todo nuestro hemisferio, en el momento y lugar que elijamos”, escribió.Sin embargo, varios senadores, tanto demócratas como republicanos, han cuestionado la legalidad de la medida al considerarla una posible extralimitación de la autoridad ejecutiva, en parte debido al uso de las fuerzas armadas con fines policiales.Adam Schiff, senador demócrata por California, afirmó este lunes estar redactando una resolución sobre poderes de guerra destinada a impedir que las tropas estadounidenses realicen nuevos ataques, hasta que el Congreso lo autorice formalmente.“Estos asesinatos ilegales simplemente nos ponen en riesgo", dijo Schiff, quien consideró además podrían incitar a otro país a atacar a las fuerzas estadounidenses sin una justificación adecuada."No quiero que entremos en una guerra con Venezuela porque el presidente simplemente está haciendo estallar barcos sin ningún tipo de justificación", declaró Schiff.Grupos de derechos humanos también han expresado su preocupación por el hecho de que los ataques violan el derecho internacional. La Casa Blanca ha ofrecido escasa información sobre cómo se concretaron las operaciones o bajo qué autoridades legales se llevaron a cabo.“Seamos claros: esto podría ser una ejecución extrajudicial, lo cual es un asesinato”, declaró Daphne Eviatar, directora del Programa de Seguridad con Derechos Humanos de Amnistía Internacional EEUU. “No hay absolutamente ninguna justificación legal para este ataque militar”, afirmó tajante.¿Cómo justifica el gobierno de Trump los ataques sobre embarcaciones supuestamente venezolanas en aguas internacionales?El gobierno de Trump justifica su acción militar como una escalada necesaria para frenar el flujo de drogas hacia EEUU.Tras el primer ataque, alegó defensa propia como argumento legal para sustentarlo, y el secretario de Estado Marco Rubio dijo que los cárteles de la droga "representan una amenaza inmediata" para el país.Funcionarios estadounidenses afirmaron que el ataque a principios de este mes tuvo como objetivo al Tren de Aragua y que se avecinan más ataques militares contra objetivos del narcotráfico, ya que Washington busca "declarar la guerra" contra los cárteles.La Casa Blanca ha criticado específicamente a Nicolás Maduro por el flagelo de las drogas ilegales en las comunidades estadounidenses."No vamos a permitir que un cartel, operando o haciéndose pasar por un gobierno, opere en nuestro propio hemisferio", declaró Rubio este lunes en Fox News.Tras el primer ataque, el jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense afirmó que Trump "utilizaría las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses y todos los elementos del poder estadounidense para atacar a los cárteles que atacan a EEUU".La agencia AP y otros medios informaron en los últimos días que aquel primer barco ya había dado la vuelta y se dirigía de regreso a la costa cuando fue impactado. Sin embargo, Rubio declaró el lunes que desconocía si esa información era correcta."Lo que debe empezar a suceder es que algunos de estos barcos sean destruidos", declaró Rubio. "No podemos vivir en un mundo donde, de repente, dan un giro de 180 grados y, por lo tanto, ya no podemos tocarlos".¿Qué dijo el gobierno de Venezuela sobre EEUU poco antes de conocerse este nuevo ataque?Horas antes de conocerse este segundo ataque, Maduro arremetió contra el gobierno estadounidense y lo acusó de usar acusaciones de narcotráfico como excusa para justificar una operación militar cuyas intenciones son "intimidar y buscar un cambio de régimen" en el país sudamericano.El líder venezolano también repudió lo que describió como una operación en la que 18 marines allanaron un barco pesquero venezolano en el Caribe durante el pasado fin de semana."¿Qué buscaban? ¿Atún? ¿Qué buscaban? ¿Un kilo de pargo? ¿Quién dio la orden en Washington para que un destructor de misiles enviara a 18 marines armados a asaltar un barco atunero?", preguntó."Buscaban un incidente militar. Si los atuneros hubieran tenido algún tipo de armamento y lo hubieran usado mientras estaban en jurisdicción venezolana, habría sido el incidente militar que buscan los belicistas, extremistas que buscan una guerra en el Caribe", afirmó."No hemos caído en provocaciones, ni caeremos en ellas", agregó antes de asegurar que Venezuela está "más preparada" para una "lucha armada" en caso de que el país fuera agredido por Washington.Mira también:Video Video del nuevo ataque militar de EEUU contra una embarcación venezolana en aguas internacionalesEn alianza con

A source confirms to me that the leader of the Aragua train, nicknamed El Tite, died there.

Una fuente me confirma que ahí murió el cabecilla del tren de Aragua apodado El Tite

CNN  —  The US military killed three people in another attack on a vessel in international waters off South America that was allegedly “transporting illegal narcotics” from Venezuela, President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday. “This morning, at my direction, the United States Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified and extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-terrorists in the Southern Command area of responsibility. The attack occurred while these confirmed Venezuelan narco-terrorists were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON THAT POISONS AMERICANS!) bound for the United States,” Trump said. “These extremely violent drug cartels REPRESENT A THREAT to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and vital U.S. interests,” he added. “The attack resulted in the deaths of three male terrorists. No members of the U.S. Armed Forces were injured in this attack.” Monday’s announcement comes just under two weeks after the U.S. military killed 11 people in an attack allegedly linked to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. The Trump administration has provided few details about the operation. Pressed for answers days after the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to elaborate, stating that the United States had “the absolute and complete authority to carry it out.” Monday's second attack comes amid rising tensions with Venezuela, as the United States has deployed military assets to the region, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, and 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil stated last week that Venezuela “is not betting on a conflict” with the United States, “nor does it desire one.” CNN reported last week that Department of Defense officials presented no conclusive evidence that the targets of the first attack were members of the Tren de Aragua, and that those briefing the attackers could not accurately determine their course. A source also told CNN that those briefing the attackers mentioned that the vessel turned around at one point, raising further questions about whether it posed an immediate threat. “There is no evidence, none, that this attack was carried out in self-defense,” Senator Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said last week. “That's important because, under both domestic and international law, the U.S. military simply does not have the authority to use lethal force against a civilian vessel unless acting in self-defense.” Trump has claimed the vessel was headed to the United States, and Hegseth has implied the same, stating that if someone is smuggling drugs and “heads to the United States… that will have lethal consequences.” “We knew exactly who they were, what they did, what they stood for, and why they were going where they were going,” Hegseth told reporters on September 4 during a visit to Fort Benning, Georgia. “How did you know?” a reporter asked. “Why would you tell him that?” Hegseth responded. Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated there could be more activity; During a trip to Mexico and Ecuador after the first attack, Rubio asserted that the United States "will fight the drug cartels that are flooding American streets and killing Americans."

CNN  —  Fuerzas Armadas de EE.UU. mataron a tres personas en otro ataque contra una embarcación en aguas internacionales de Sudamérica que presuntamente “transportaba narcóticos ilegales” desde Venezuela, dijo el presidente Donald Trump en una publicación en Truth Social el lunes. “Esta mañana, bajo mis órdenes, las Fuerzas Militares de EE.UU. llevaron a cabo un SEGUNDO Ataque Cinético contra cárteles del narcotráfico y narcoterroristas, identificados positivamente y extraordinariamente violentos, en el área de responsabilidad del Comando Sur. El ataque ocurrió mientras estos narcoterroristas venezolanos, confirmados, se encontraban en aguas internacionales transportando narcóticos ilegales (¡UN ARMA MORTAL QUE ENVENENA A ESTADOUNIDENSES!) con destino a EE.UU.”, aseguró Trump. “Estos cárteles del narcotráfico extremadamente violentos REPRESENTAN UNA AMENAZA para la Seguridad Nacional, la Política Exterior e intereses vitales de EE.UU.”, añadió. “El ataque resultó en la muerte de 3 terroristas hombres. Ningún miembro de las Fuerzas Armadas de EE.UU. resultó herido en este ataque”. El anuncio del lunes se produce poco menos de dos semanas después de que las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses mataran a 11 personas en un ataque presuntamente vinculado a la banda venezolana Tren de Aragua. El Gobierno de Trump ha proporcionado pocos detalles sobre tal operación. Al ser presionado para obtener respuestas días después del ataque, el secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth, se negó a dar detalles y afirmó que Estados Unidos tenía “la autoridad absoluta y completa para llevarlo a cabo”. El segundo ataque del lunes se produce en medio de crecientes tensiones con Venezuela, ya que Estados Unidos ha desplegado activos militares en la región, incluyendo el Grupo Anfibio Listo de Iwo Jima y la 22.ª Unidad Expedicionaria de Infantería de Marina, y 10 aviones de combate F-35 en Puerto Rico. El canciller venezolano, Yván Gil, afirmó la semana pasada que Venezuela “no apuesta por un conflicto” con Estados Unidos, “ni lo desea”. CNN reportó la semana pasada que funcionarios del Departamento de Defensa no presentaron pruebas concluyentes de que los objetivos del primer ataque fueran miembros del Tren de Aragua, y que quienes informaron no pudieron determinar con exactitud su rumbo. Una fuente también declaró a CNN que quienes informaron mencionaron que la embarcación dio la vuelta en un momento dado, lo que plantea nuevas dudas sobre si representaba una amenaza inmediata. “No hay ninguna prueba, ninguna, de que este ataque se haya ejecutado en defensa propia”, dijo la semana pasada el senador Jack Reed, miembro de alto rango de la Comisión de las Fuerzas Armadas del Senado. “Eso es importante, porque, tanto en virtud del derecho nacional como del internacional, las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses simplemente no tienen la autoridad para usar fuerza letal contra una embarcación civil a menos que actúen en defensa propia”. Trump ha afirmado que la embarcación se dirigía a Estados Unidos, y Hegseth ha insinuado lo mismo, afirmando que si alguien trafica con drogas y “se dirige a Estados Unidos… eso tendrá consecuencias letales”. “Sabíamos exactamente quiénes eran, qué hacían, qué representaban y por qué iban a donde iban”, afirmó Hegseth a la prensa el 4 de septiembre durante una visita a Fort Benning, Georgia. “¿Cómo lo supo?”, preguntó un periodista. “¿Por qué le diría eso?”, respondió Hegseth. Hegseth y el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, indicaron que podría haber más actividad; Rubio aseguró durante un viaje a México y Ecuador tras el primer ataque que Estados Unidos “va a combatir a los cárteles de la droga que están inundando las calles estadounidenses y matando a estadounidenses”.

On the morning of September 2, 2025, a small speedboat skims across open water somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. Suddenly, in a flash of white, it’s destroyed in a U.S.-launched airstrike. All 11 people on board are reportedly killed. Two weeks later, another boat meets the same fate, with reports indicating three more people are killed. Aerial footage of both attacks, posted online by U.S. President Donald Trump, shows more than just a grainy, bird’s-eye view of the missions; it reveals the role that Canadian technology played in these airstrikes. An investigation by Project Ploughshares has confirmed that both operations relied on advanced electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor systems built in Hamilton, Ontario, by L3Harris WESCAM. These sensors, sold in large volumes to the U.S. government, are designed to surveil below aircraft, identify potential targets, and coordinate airstrikes with precision. Their distinctive on-screen interface, visible even in the redacted airstrike footage shared by President Trump, confirms that Canadian technology played a central role in the operations. Human-rights monitors and UN officials have determined that the attacks, which took place in international waters and targeted alleged drug smugglers in the absence of any declared conflict, amount to extrajudicial killings. This, in turn, raises the question of whether Canadian technology will continue to facilitate such unlawful strikes in the region. Canada is legally bound to ensure that its export of military goods does not contribute to violations of international law. But because of a decades-old agreement between Canada and the United States, most military goods that Canada sends to its southern neighbour — including the WESCAM sensors used in these operations — bypass the very export controls designed to prevent Canadian technology from contributing to such abuses.These U.S. airstrikes reveal the consequences of this loophole and signal the immediate need to close it. Read full report below.

Q: The Columbian president says that the US killed an innocent Columbia fisherman TRUMP: He said that when we shot down a submarine that they were just fishing. This was a submarine that was meant for one reason -- to carry massive amounts of drugs Q: He's talking about a previous strike

Alejandro Carranza's loved ones say he left home on Colombia's Caribbean coast to fish in open waters. Days later, he was dead -- one of 32 alleged drug traffickers killed in US military strikes.  From Santa Marta, northern Colombia, Carranza's family is questioning White House claims that he was carrying narcotics aboard a small vessel targeted last month.For his wife Katerine Hernandez, the 40-year-old was "a good man" devoted to fishing."Why did they just take his life like that?" she asked during an interview Monday with AFP. She denied he had any link to drug trafficking."The fishermen have the right to live. Why didn't they just detain them?"Since the United States began bombing boats in the Caribbean in September, critics have accused Donald Trump's administration of carrying out extrajudicial executions.The White House and Pentagon have produced little evidence to back up their claims that those targeted were involved in trafficking.Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, a critic of the US military presence in the Caribbean, has also claimed Carranza was innocent.Petro said his crew suffered a mechanical failure at sea."The Colombian boat was adrift with a distress signal, its engine raised," Petro wrote Saturday on X. "He had no ties to drug trafficking. His daily activity was fishing."However Colombian media have reported that Carranza had a criminal record for stealing weapons in collusion with gangs.Prosecutors contacted by AFP refused to confirm or deny the reports.The US government has released statements and images purporting to show strikes on at least seven boats allegedly carrying drugs, leaving 32 dead. AFP has not been able to independently verify this toll. - He stopped calling -Before his last trip, Carranza told his father he was heading to a spot "with good fish." Days passed without contact, until the family learned of the bombing on television."The days went by and he didn't call," Hernandez said.The deadly strikes have sparked a diplomatic row between the United States and Colombia, historically close partners.Petro condemned the attack as a violation of Colombian sovereignty and labeled it an "assassination," while Trump has lashed out his counterpart, calling him an "illegal drug dealer" and vowing to to halt all US economic aid to the country.Friends interviewed by AFP also insisted Carranza was a fisherman."He went offshore to catch sierra, tuna, and snapper, which are found far out at this time of year," said Cesar Henriquez, who has known him since childhood."He always came back to Santa Marta, secured his boat, and went home. I never knew him to do anything bad," Henriquez told AFP.A Colombian and an Ecuadoran are the only survivors so far of US attacks in the Caribbean.The Colombian, repatriated in serious condition, will face trial as a "criminal" accused of drug trafficking, according to the government.The Ecuadoran was released after authorities said he had no pending charges.str-das/sla

#EXTRA | The boat bombed in the Caribbean by the Trump administration on September 16 was Colombian, and the attack reportedly occurred in Colombian waters. #RTVCNoticas spoke with the family of fisherman Alejandro Carranza, who was allegedly killed in the attack. This is reported by RTVC manager @HOLLMANMORRIS. Fishermen are fearful of this crime. Live: http://rtvcnoticias.com/senal-en-vivo

#EXTRA | Lancha bombardeada en el Caribe por el gobierno Trump el pasado 16 de septiembre era colombiana y el ataque se habría producido en aguas colombianas. #RTVCNoticas habló con familiares del pescador Alejandro Carranza quien presuntamente fue asesinado en el ataque. Así lo informa el gerente de RTVC, @HOLLMANMORRIS. Hay temor por por parte de pescadores frente a este crimen. En vivo por: http://rtvcnoticias.com/senal-en-vivo

#EXTRA | "They left La Guajira, and it's impossible that they were in international waters," says Audenis Manjarres, a relative of Alejandro Carranza, a fisherman allegedly killed by US military bombing. Developing story

#EXTRA | "Salieron de La Guajira y no es posible que haya sido en aguas internacionales" Audenis Manjarres, familiar de Alejandro Carranza, pescador presuntamente asesinado por bombardeo del ejército estadounidense. Noticia en desarrollo

US government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to drug trafficking and his daily activity was fishing. The Colombian boat was drifting and had a distress signal on due to one engine up. We await explanations from the US government. https://x.com/RTVCnoticias/status/1979685961584771216?t=PmlmEediH4o9oDzVSV2xiA&s=09…

Funcionarios del gobierno de los EEUU han cometido un asesinato y violado nuestra soberanía en aguas territoriales El pescador Alejandro Carranza no tenía vínculos con el narco y sus actividad diaria era pescar. La lancha colombiana estaba la deriva y con la señal de avería puesta al tener un motor arriba. Esperamos las explicaciones del gobierno de los EEUU. https://x.com/RTVCnoticias/status/1979685961584771216?t=PmlmEediH4o9oDzVSV2xiA&s=09…

The boat attacked on September 16 was Colombian. It had one engine up, indicating damage, and was turned off. It was presumably in Colombian waters. The person on board was a lifelong fisherman, Alejandro Carranza, who has not returned home. Alert the Attorney General's Office. I urge them to act immediately. Provide immediate protection to the victims' families and, if they wish, associate them with the victims in Trinidad and Tobago to initiate legal proceedings around the world and in the U.S. courts.

La lancha atacada el 16 de septiembre era colombiana, tenía un motor arriba en señal de daño y estaba apagada, presumiblemente estaba en aguas colombianas, quien estaba allí era un pescador de toda la vida: Alejandro Carranza, que no ha vuelto a su casa. Alerta a la fiscalía general de la Nación. Le solicito actuar de inmediato. Otorgar protección inmediata a los familiares víctimas y asociarlas, si quieren, a las víctimas de Trinidad Tobago para iniciar acciones judiciales en el mundo y en la justicia de los EEUU

Alejandro Carranza's loved ones say he left home on Colombia's Caribbean coast to fish in open waters. Days later, he was dead -- one of 32 alleged drug traffickers killed in US military strikes.  From Santa Marta, northern Colombia, Carranza's family is questioning White House claims that he was carrying narcotics aboard a small vessel targeted last month.For his wife Katerine Hernandez, the 40-year-old was "a good man" devoted to fishing."Why did they just take his life like that?" she asked during an interview Monday with AFP. She denied he had any link to drug trafficking."The fishermen have the right to live. Why didn't they just detain them?"Since the United States began bombing boats in the Caribbean in September, critics have accused Donald Trump's administration of carrying out extrajudicial executions.The White House and Pentagon have produced little evidence to back up their claims that those targeted were involved in trafficking.Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, a critic of the US military presence in the Caribbean, has also claimed Carranza was innocent.Petro said his crew suffered a mechanical failure at sea."The Colombian boat was adrift with a distress signal, its engine raised," Petro wrote Saturday on X. "He had no ties to drug trafficking. His daily activity was fishing."However Colombian media have reported that Carranza had a criminal record for stealing weapons in collusion with gangs.Prosecutors contacted by AFP refused to confirm or deny the reports.The US government has released statements and images purporting to show strikes on at least seven boats allegedly carrying drugs, leaving 32 dead. More from this section AFP has not been able to independently verify this toll. - He stopped calling -Before his last trip, Carranza told his father he was heading to a spot "with good fish." Days passed without contact, until the family learned of the bombing on television."The days went by and he didn't call," Hernandez said.The deadly strikes have sparked a diplomatic row between the United States and Colombia, historically close partners.Petro condemned the attack as a violation of Colombian sovereignty and labeled it an "assassination," while Trump has lashed out his counterpart, calling him an "illegal drug dealer" and vowing to to halt all US economic aid to the country.Friends interviewed by AFP also insisted Carranza was a fisherman."He went offshore to catch sierra, tuna, and snapper, which are found far out at this time of year," said Cesar Henriquez, who has known him since childhood."He always came back to Santa Marta, secured his boat, and went home. I never knew him to do anything bad," Henriquez told AFP.A Colombian and an Ecuadoran are the only survivors so far of US attacks in the Caribbean.The Colombian, repatriated in serious condition, will face trial as a "criminal" accused of drug trafficking, according to the government.The Ecuadoran was released after authorities said he had no pending charges.str-das/sla

40-year-old Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza has been identified as one of the men killed in a U.S. boat strike in mid-September. Since early September, the U.S. has been carrying out strikes on boats in the Caribbean and accusing the people on board of being drug traffickers, but hasn’t given evidence to back up these claims. Trump suggested the U.S. may begin conducting strikes on land as well.

The grief over the loss of Alejandro Carranza, the Colombian fisherman killed in a US bombing raid on a small fishing boat in the Caribbean Sea, has transformed into a direct appeal to President Donald Trump. In a heartbreaking testimony, Carranza's father asked the White House occupant to stop these kinds of attacks that claim the lives of innocent civilians. "He needs to see, he needs to stop bombing innocent people, especially fishermen," the man said, adding that now fishermen are afraid to go out to sea: "Now you can't even go 10 miles out because you'll be bombed immediately." The family member described Alejandro Carranza as a central figure in his home: "He was the right-hand man of the house for everyone. With him, we never lacked anything here." Despite reports indicating that Alejandro Carranza died in the attack, his father still holds out hope, stating that, while the official version points to his death, they want "to see evidence to see if he is dead or alive." The man also expressed his hope that the Colombian president would help them in their situation. "I'm asking the president to help us with this, to see how far we can go, to see if he can help us with something, even if it's just with the body." The case of Alejandro Carranza has brought security in the Caribbean into sharp focus, with relatives in Santa Marta and La Guajira asserting that the boat was flying the Colombian flag and was adrift due to mechanical problems before being attacked, contradicting the version presented by the U.S. government, which portrayed the operation as a blow against drug traffickers.

El dolor por la pérdida de Alejandro Carranza, el pescador colombiano fallecido en un bombardeo estadounidense contra una lancha artesanal en el mar Caribe, se ha transformado en un llamado directo al presidente Donald Trump. En un testimonio desgarrador, el padre de Carranza pidió al inquilino de la Casa Blanca cesar este tipo de ataques que cobran la vida de civiles inocentes. «Que vea, que deje de bombardear la gente inocente ya que va para allá los pescadores», expresó el hombre, agregando que ahora los pescadores temen salir a faenar: «Ahora uno no puede salir a 10 millas por ahí porque le llega bombardeo enseguida». El familiar describió a Alejandro Carranza como una figura central en su hogar: «Él era aquí era la mano derecha de la casa para todos. Con él no faltaba nada aquí». Pese a los reportes que indican que Alejandro Carranza falleció en el ataque, su padre aún mantiene la esperanza, indicando que, si bien la versión oficial apunta a su muerte, quieren «ver muestra para ver si si está muerto o está vivo». El hombre también manifestó su esperanza de que el presidente colombiano les ayude en su situación. «Yo le digo al señor presidente que nos ayude con esto para, para ver hasta dónde se puede llegar, para ver, que nos ayude con algo ahí, tan siquiera con el cadáver que sea». El caso de Alejandro Carranza ha puesto en el foco la seguridad en el Caribe, con familiares en Santa Marta y La Guajira asegurando que la lancha era de bandera colombiana y se encontraba a la deriva por fallas mecánicas antes de ser atacada, contradiciendo la versión del gobierno estadounidense que presentó la operación como un golpe contra narcotraficantes.

Father of Colombian fisherman killed in bombing sends message to Donald Trump: "Stop bombing innocent fishermen."

Padre del pescador colombiano muerto en bombardeo envía mensaje a Donald Trump: "Que deje de bombardear a pescadores inocentes."

A family in Colombia filed a petition on Tuesday with the Washington DC-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging that the Colombian citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in a US airstrike on 15 September.The petition marks the first formal complaint over the airstrikes by the Trump administration against suspected drug boats, attacks that the White House says are justified under a novel interpretation of law.Alejandro Carranza Medina and his son. Photograph: Courtesy of Carranza familyThe IACHR, part of the Organization of American States, is designed to “promote and protect human rights in the Western Hemisphere”. The US is a member, and in March the Trump administration’s state department wrote: “The United States is pleased to be a strong supporter of the IACHR and is committed to continuing support for the Commission’s work and its independence. Preserving the IACHR’s autonomy is a pillar of our human rights policy in the region.”The complaint was filed by Pittsburgh-based human rights lawyer Dan Kovalik. “On September 15, 2025, the United States military bombed the boat of Alejandro Andres Carranza Medina,” the filing says, “which Mr Carranza was sailing in the Caribbean off the coast of Colombia. Mr Carranza was killed in the process of this bombing.”Kovalik identified Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, as the perpetrator, based on Hegseth’s own statements. “From numerous news reports, we know that Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza Medina and the murder of all those on such boats. Secretary Hegseth has admitted that he gave such orders despite the fact that he did not know the identity of those being targeted for these bombings and extra-judicial killings,” the filing goes on.The complaint adds: “US President Donald Trump has ratified the conduct of Secretary Hegseth described herein.”A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, did not respond directly to questions about the complaint or about Carranza Medina’s death, but wrote in an email that the media were “now running cover for foreign terrorists smuggling deadly narcotics intended to murder Americans”.Carranza, 42, appears to have been killed in the second strike of the Trump administration’s bombing campaign, on 15 September. The administration has publicly disclosed 21 strikes on alleged drug boats. Carranza’s family says he was a fisher who would often set out in search of marlin and tuna.On the day of the strike, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that “This morning, on my Orders, US Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility”. Trump attached video marked “unclassified” of a small boat floating in the water before it was struck.Although Trump said the crew was “from Venezuela”, the Colombian government soon identified them as Colombian.Kovalik said: “We think this is a viable way to challenge the killing of Alejandro. We are going to seek redress for the family. We want the US to be ordered to stop doing these boat attacks. It may be a first step but we think it it’s a good first step.”Quick GuideContact us about this storyShowThe best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.Secure Messaging in the Guardian appThe Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select ‘Secure Messaging’. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and postIf you can safely use the Tor network without being observed or monitored, you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform.Finally, our guide at theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the pros and cons of each. Illustration: Guardian Design / Rich Cousins

The family of a Colombian man killed in a U.S. airstrike in the Caribbean filed a formal complaint Tuesday with a multinational human rights commission accusing the Trump administration of violating international law by carrying out an extrajudicial killing. Relatives of Alejandro Carranza Medina argue in a complaint filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that he was denied his rights under international law to due process and a fair trial when he was killed in the Sept. 15 airstrike off the coast of Colombia in what U.S. authorities said was an attack on drug smugglers. Though IACHR rulings aren’t binding on the U.S. government, the family’s petition is the first legal challenge of airstrikes conducted under President Donald Trump that have killed at least 83 people off the coasts of Central and South America. “From numerous news reports, we know that Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza Medina and the murder of all those on such boats,” the family said in the complaint. “Secretary Hegseth has admitted that he gave such orders despite the fact that he did not know the identity of those being targeted for these bombings and extra-judicial killings.” The commission has long been a way to challenge human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere, but the U.S. hasn’t ratified the enforcement treaty and does not consider its findings legally binding. Still, an adverse finding is an embarrassment to a nation that has customarily been seen as an advocate for the rule of law. In the complaint, first reported by The Guardian, the family says Carranza was a fisherman who also took jobs piloting boats for others. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in October that the man may have been “intermittently’’ involved with the drug trade. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that all of the military’s strikes “have been against designated narcoterrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores, and the President will continue to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country.” Human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, who represents Carranza’s relatives, said he met with the family in Colombia last month after Petro, whom he also represents, enlisted his help. He then opted to file a complaint with ICHRA because “there’s a lot of barriers” to bringing a lawsuit against U.S. officials, especially regarding conduct that occurred outside of the country, he said. Kovalik acknowledged that the IACHR lacks enforcement authority but said he hopes that “the case before the commission, combined with public pressure, could force the U.S. to do something.” The complaint comes as the Trump administration faces growing bipartisan pressure over a Sept. 2 attack in which the military carried out a follow-on strike killing two survivors of an initial airstrike in the Caribbean Sea. Congressional committee leaders have vowed “vigorous oversight” in the wake of a Washington Post report that Hegseth authorized the strike, which several lawmakers allege may have constituted a war crime. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Hegseth authorized Adm. Frank Bradley to order the strike and that Bradley was “well within his authority to do so.” Hegseth on Tuesday cited the “fog of war” in defending the strike, adding that he “didn’t stick around” for the second strike. The Pentagon deferred to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the complaint. Kovalik said the furor surrounding the Sept. 2 strike strengthens his case against the Trump administration. “This just adds to the weight of evidence that the U.S. is involved in killing people who, one, they don’t even know who they are, but in killing people without trial who have no way to defend themselves,” he told POLITICO.

The family of a Colombian fisherman who died in a U.S. military boat strike in September has filed a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights alleging the U.S. government illegally killed him.Alejandro Carranza was killed in a strike in the Caribbean on Sept. 15, according to the petition, filed on Tuesday."From numerous news reports, we know that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza and the murder of all those on such boats," according to the petition. "Secretary Hegseth has admitted that he gave such orders despite the fact that he did not know the identity of those being targeted for these bombings and extra-judicial killings."In the petition, Carranza's lawyer Dan Kovalik said the fisherman's family "has no recourse to adequate and effective remedies in Colombia to obtain redress for the injuries they have suffered due to the actions of the United States."While the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights can investigate the complaint and issue findings, any ruling it makes would not be legally binding on the U.S. A Pentagon official told ABC News the department does not comment on pending litigation. The filing comes after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the U.S. government of committing murder for the strike that killed Carranza."U.S. government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to the drug trade and his daily activity was fishing," Petro said on X last month. "The Colombian boat was adrift and displaying the distress signal due to having an outboard motor. We await explanations from the U.S. government."A screen grab from a video posted to social media by President Donald Trump, Sept. 15, 2025, of what he said was a U.S. military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela.Donald J. Trump/Truth Social Three people total were killed in the Sept. 15 strike in the Caribbean, U.S. officials said.President Donald Trump said at the time that he ordered the military strike against a boat that he insisted was carrying illegal drugs from Venezuela to the U.S., telling reporters the operation left "big bags of cocaine and fentanyl" floating around in the ocean.Since September, Trump and Hegseth have ordered more than 20 military strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has alleged with little evidence that the boats were smuggling drugs from Venezuela and Colombia. The controversial campaign so far has killed more than 80 people, according to officials.Hegseth has maintained that the strikes are all legal and claims that the military has evidence that the boats were carrying drugs.Popular ReadsOn Capitol Hill, some leaders from both parties have questioned the legality of the strikes and whether the president has the constitutional power to authorize them.The first such incident, which occurred on Sept. 2, has been under scrutiny following a recent Washington Post report that cited two people with direct knowledge of the operations saying a second strike was ordered on the boat that killed two survivors.One person familiar with details of the incident confirmed to ABC News that there were survivors from the initial strike on the boat and that those survivors were killed in a subsequent strike.Democrats say that alone could be enough to suggest a war crime occurred. The laws of war require either side in a conflict to provide care for wounded and shipwrecked troops.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who oversaw the initial attack, has defended the strike as legal.The defense secretary told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he watched the first strike unfold before leaving for meetings. He says he did not see survivors or any strikes that followed and said the admiral who, he said, ordered the second strike made the "right call."

The family of a Colombian man believed to have been killed in a US strike in the Caribbean has filed what’s believed to be the first complaint against such attacks with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The petition, filed Tuesday by US human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, alleges that Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza was killed when the US struck his boat off the coast of Colombia on September 15. It claims that the United States carried out an extra-judicial killing in violation of Carranza’s human rights. Kovalik told CNN they are seeking compensation for his family and an end to such killings, but did not elaborate on how those demands would be met. “These killings are against international law. They are against US law. We want this to stop, and we think this is at least a first step to having that happen,” he said. The complaint names US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as the perpetrator, saying he “was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza Medina and the murder of all those on such boats.” It also claims that Hegseth’s conduct was “ratified” by US President Donald Trump. The Pentagon referred questions to the White House and CNN has reached out to the White House. Since early September, the US has carried out at least 22 strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, killing at least 83 people. The US has tried to legally justify its strikes by claiming the boats were carrying individuals linked to roughly two dozen drug cartels engaged in an armed conflict with the US. The White House has said repeatedly that the administration’s actions “comply fully with the Law of Armed Conflict,” the area of international law that is designed to prevent attacks on civilians. Trump claimed the strike on September 15 had killed three “narcoterrorists from Venezuela” transporting drugs to the United States. But Kovalik says Carranza, a Colombian citizen, was simply fishing for marlin and tuna when he was killed in the strike. “That is what he was doing. That was his profession and his vocation.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro previously said that Carranza was a lifelong fisherman with no ties to the drug trade, and that his boat was displaying a distress signal because of engine damage. Petro later conceded that Carranza may have accepted money to carry prohibited goods due to his financial situation but said “never did his actions deserve the death penalty.” Petro announced on Monday that Kovalik had launched a “judicial defense” for Carranza’s family and said his country must convene a commission of Colombian lawyers to investigate what he considered “crimes” in the Caribbean. Kovalik said the petition he filed Tuesday on behalf of Carranza’s wife and kids is the first formal complaint against the US strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific and that he believes more will follow. “That’s a goal. That’s one of our goals. We’re going to bring justice to these people,” he told CNN. The IACHR says on its website that petitions filed before the commission allow victims of human rights violations to obtain help. If petitions are accepted, the IACHR says, it will make recommendations to the country responsible for the violations “to prevent a recurrence of similar events, to investigate the facts, and to make reparations.” CNN has reached out to the IACHR, Carranza’s family and the Colombian government for more information. The petition was filed on the same day that the IACHR issued a statement expressing concern about the US strikes. The commission urges the United States “to ensure that all security operations, including those carried out beyond its borders, are consistent with international human rights obligations, particularly regarding the protection of the right to life, the use of force, due process guarantees, and accountability mechanisms,” the statement read. Kovalik was also hired to represent Petro on October 24, the day he was sanctioned by the US, which accused him of playing a “role in the global illicit drug trade.” Petro has denied the allegations. CNN’s Fernando Ramos contributed to this report.

Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza poses for a photograph on his boat in this undated handout photograph, taken on the shore of Santa Marta, Colombia, and made available to Reuters on December 5, 2025. Daniel Kowalik/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabDec 5 (Reuters) - The family of a Colombian man who they say was killed in a U.S. airstrike off Colombia's coast has taken their case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, seeking accountability for deadly U.S. attacks in recent months in the Caribbean and the Pacific, their lawyer said.At least 83 people have been killed through targeted missile strikes as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration ratchets up an offensive against what it has said are drug-trafficking boats.The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here.Alejandro Carranza, a 42-year-old fisherman, was killed in a September 15 military strike off Colombia's Pacific coast, according to the complaint filed by his family and U.S. lawyer Daniel Kovalik with the commission this week.The complaint accuses the U.S. of an extrajudicial killing and human rights violations.Kovalik, who also represented Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in October, said he hopes to hold U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other U.S. officials accountable for their role in ordering the strikes."I'd like to see Hegseth sacked. I would like the U.S. government to compensate these people, apologize and stop the killings," he said in an interview on Thursday.White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters that the strikes are part of Trump's strategy to fight drug cartels."All of these decisive strikes have been against designated narcoterrorists, as affirmed by U.S. intelligence, bringing deadly poison to our shores," she said in an email.The Trump administration has said it is engaged in a non-international armed conflict with drug cartels, which it says have caused thousands of deaths in the United States.It has designated the groups as terrorists and has described illegal narcotics as a weapon, while saying that attacks against suspected drug traffickers are self-defense. The administration has also said the attacks comply with the law of armed conflict.The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Members of Congress on Thursday said they will investigate whether the U.S. military committed war crimes when carrying out the recent airstrikes.The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a human rights watchdog that is an autonomous arm of the Organization of American States, has no legal authority to enforce its findings or recommendations.Still, Kovalik said he believes bringing the case forward could encourage others to pursue similar complaints and increase public scrutiny of the Trump administration over the attacks."Someone's got to be first, and once you take that step, people come forward, forces come forward to help. And that's starting to happen," Kovalik said.Kovalik met Carranza's family in November when he traveled to Colombia to meet with Petro."A positive decision from the commission, combined with public pressure, could have an impact. I think Trump cares about his poll numbers, and I think people are becoming disgusted by this, and I think this case will help increase the opposition to these bombings," Kovalik added.In November, Trump's approval rating fell to 38%, the lowest since his return to power, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has not publicly commented on Carranza's case. It has denounced the Trump administration's military strikes and in a recent statement urged the U.S. to "refrain from using lethal military force in the context of public security operations."Reporting by Iñigo Alexander; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon and Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, I filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on behalf of the family of Alejandro Carranza—a Colombian fisherman who went out in his boat on the Caribbean Sea, attempting to fish for marlin and tuna, but who never came home. Instead, he was murdered through a “kinetic attack” (bombing) carried out by the United States on September 15, 2025. I met Alejandro’s family in early November in their home town of Santa Marta, Colombia, and agreed to take their case for compensation for their loss. The family seemed bereft and destitute, having lost their family’s chief breadwinner. His wife, Katerine Hernández, told CBS News that Alejandro was a “good man” devoted to fishing, adding that, “if he was some kind of narco-terrorist, then why are we living in misery instead of a mansion?” Katerine Hernández, the mother of three of Mr. Carranza’s children (left), with her family at the house where she is currently living with her three children. [Source: nytimes.com] After much research and consideration, I decided to bring the case before the IACHR because it seemed to be the one forum which offered a venue to petition against the United States directly for violations committed outside the U.S. territory. In the petition, we allege a violation of numerous provisions of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, also known as the “Bogotá Declaration” because it was signed in Bogotá, Colombia in 1948. It is indeed the oldest human rights instrument in the world, even older than the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (the most cited human rights document), which was signed later that same year. Conference where UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed. [Source: humanium.org] Given Alejandro’s nationality, of course, it feels fitting to invoke the Bogota Declaration. It is worth noting that, in the year the Bogota Declaration and Universal Declaration of Human Rights were signed, popular, leftist Colombian presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán was assassinated. Many believe that it was the newly formed CIA which was responsible, though this remains unproven. What followed in Colombia was the period of “La Violencia” in which an estimated quarter million Colombians were killed in a civil war that resulted from the assassination. Amongst other provisions, we cited provisions of the Declaration guaranteeing the Right to Life, the Right to Due Process and the Right to Trial—all rights denied Alejandro and the other 90 or so individuals killed on the high seas by the U.S. without trial or even criminal charge. [Source: cbsnews.com] A number of journalists have asked me whether I believe Alejandro to be “innocent.” Of course, my answer has been that all of the victims have been innocent because, in the U.S. and other countries which claim to be civilized and bound by the rule of law, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. And none of these individuals has been tried, much less proven guilty. Moreover, as I have also noted, even if they were found guilty of drug trafficking in a state with the death penalty, they would not be sentenced to death, as mere trafficking in illicit drugs is not a capital crime. In other words, there is no discernable justification that the U.S. has for these killings, which simply amount to wanton murder. President Trump, showing the pretextual nature of his claim that he is carrying out these attacks to fight drugs, just pardoned the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of trafficking hundreds of tons of illicit drugs to the U.S. Of course, Trump’s show and use of force in the Caribbean is not about fighting drugs but, instead, is about asserting U.S. domination in the region pursuant to the Monroe Doctrine, attempting to effectuate regime change in Venezuela and possibly Colombia as well, all with the goal of taking control of the region’s resources, and especially its huge reserves of oil. The IACHR petition, in my view, is just one effort to try to hold the U.S. accountable for its crimes in the Caribbean (and now the Pacific as well) and to try to deter such misdeeds in the future. Much is at stake here. If the U.S. can get away with killing people on the high seas based on the mere allegation of drug trafficking, it can get away with killing anyone at any time, including U.S. citizens, without charge and without trial. I believe that this is indeed the point. The Trump administration seems hell-bent on demonstrating that it is not bound by the rule of law, either domestic or international, by public opinion or by simple morality and decency. These killings, the mass ICE detentions, as well as the continued support for the genocide in Gaza are all sending this message to the world. If we fail to effectively stand up to this lawlessness and terror, none of us is safe. CovertAction Magazine is made possible by subscriptions, orders and donations from readers like you.

“The passing of the popular Pichirilo, a great sports talent from Valdés, has been reported. Our condolences to his family,” posted @elshowderuben, a Facebook page for the program of the same name on Radio Güiria Internacional in Venezuela, on October 15, 2025. Their post received 483 reactions, mostly crying emojis or expressions of grief. “Pichirilo, you have no idea how much your news hurts, I will never forget you,” wrote a friend. “Rest in peace, Eduardo, popular Pichirilo,” “Rest in peace, my friend Pichirilo, excellent athlete. Great talent in front of the goal,” others commented. The day before, on October 14, a missile fired by the U.S. military had destroyed a boat off the Venezuelan coast near Güiria, a town in the municipality of Valdés, Sucre state, and a departure point for Trinidad and Tobago. According to the official US government video, the vessel was stationary when it was attacked. It was the fifth US attack on ships in the Caribbean. With the six people killed there, the death toll reached 27. US President Donald Trump stated on his social media that his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, had given the order to strike on a known drug trafficking route in international waters, and that US intelligence “confirmed that the boat was trafficking narcotics” and was associated with narco-terrorist networks. The radio host of @showderuben told reporters from this journalistic alliance that he published the news about Pichirilo because he knew he was well-known in Güiria. “This is a small town and everyone knows each other here,” he explained, although he denied knowing anything about the circumstances of his death. Reporters from Rebel Alliance Investigates (ARI)—a coalition of the Venezuelan independent media outlets Runrunes, Tal Cual, and El Pitazo—allied with this investigation, confirmed in Güiria that Pichirilo's name was Eduardo Jaime, and that he was a beloved futsal player in that coastal town on the Venezuelan Caribbean coast. A family member later confirmed to this alliance by phone that Eduardo Jaime was on the boat that was shot down on October 14. From September 2015 until April 26 of this year, in what was called Operation Southern Spear, U.S. military forces destroyed 58 vessels with missile strikes and caused the deaths of 172 people like Eduardo Jaime—according to confirmation from the U.S. Southern Command in response to questions sent by this journalistic team via email. Since then, and until May 5, when this story was finalized, the U.S. government has publicly announced that it carried out two more attacks that killed five more people. US authorities also counted a total of 12 other missing persons, presumed dead. However, this journalistic alliance verified with sources in Costa Rica that of three presumed survivors of a March bombing at sea off the coast of that country, two died before reaching land. Thus, the death toll reached 179 as of May 5. In its written response, the US Southern Command stated that “every action taken during Operation Southern Spear is deliberate, legal, and precise, directed squarely against narco-terrorists and their facilitators. We have full confidence in the operations and intelligence professionals who inform our missions.” (See the full response here) However, days after the attack in which Pichirilo was killed that same October, Trump administration officials acknowledged in reports to members of Congress and their staff that they did not know the identity or background of the people they killed, as revealed by The Intercept. “It’s a double tragedy, not only because of the illegal killings, but also because the victims are erased, rendered anonymous,” said John Walsh of WOLA, a Washington-based human rights organization in Latin America, in a telephone interview with CLIP. Agreeing with Walsh and many others, including human rights experts, members of Congress, former U.S. government officials, and civil society organizations, who have questioned the legality of killing these men on the mere suspicion that they might be transporting drugs, a transnational journalistic alliance has been working since last December to identify these dead men, convinced that by revealing their faces and stories, their humanity will emerge. The alliance, coordinated by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP), brings together media outlets from the ARI region of Venezuela; 360, Casa Macondo, and Verdad Abierta of Colombia; and Guardian of Trinidad and Tobago. And freelance journalists in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Mexico, with technical and financial support from Airwars, today release the first findings of the investigation, "Bombed, Without the Right to Defense." This collaborative investigation has been a painstaking task, weaving together the loose threads of many tragedies. To this end, we have visited hamlets and coastal towns in La Guajira and Nariño, Colombia, and Sucre, Venezuela; interviewed family members, friends, and acquaintances of victims, as well as local authorities and reporters in five countries; tracked and verified hundreds of social media posts; identified dozens of publications from recognized media outlets in multiple countries and languages; made dozens of information requests to authorities; contacted prosecutors' offices, hospitals, morgues, and embassies; and verified public and judicial records. With all this information, we built a database that, we hope, will contribute to raising awareness that these men were human beings who deserved to be tried if they were suspected of committing any crime. Most sources are anonymous because everyone is afraid to speak. Some relatives of victims in Venezuela and Santa Marta, Colombia, according to sources consulted by this alliance, say they have received threats. Others don't want to say anything because they fear reprisals from their governments or, worse, from the drug lords who rule where they live. Government agencies have been tight-lipped, and officials who respond only do so off the record because they don't want to cause problems for their countries with the United States. Adding the names of the people other media outlets and organizations have managed to identify, along with the new fatalities identified by this journalistic alliance, we have been able to obtain the full names of 16 of those killed in these attacks. We identified the nationality of two more, and the nickname of another. We have information about the identities of two other people whose remains washed ashore on a beach in northern Colombia days after an attack, but we don't know for sure if they were killed in a bombing. We have the full name of another possible victim. We have identified three wounded survivors. It's like looking for needles in a haystack of 179 people killed between September 2nd and May 5th, and the count continues… Each explosion shatters the ship and its crew—whether traffickers, passengers, or fishermen—into a thousand pieces. Their identities are blown to bits across vast oceans. This cross-border journalistic collaboration also found that the destructive wave doesn't stop there. As the on-the-ground reporting will show, Operation Southern Spear has further unraveled the fabric of communities already broken and broken by organized crime and the absence of the state, and has terrorized fishermen and travelers to the point of paralyzing the economy of a town in Nariño. We also verified that it disrupted at least 18 commercial flights in the Colombian Caribbean. Furthermore, we documented how it has fragmented international cooperation in the fight against illegal drugs, because other democracies fear being involved in actions that disregard international agreements governing the sea and international human rights law. The shockwave of the bombing reverberates with the fear among officials and prosecutors of revealing details of the rescues or their coordinates, as the neighbor to the North could retaliate with new tariffs or personal attacks on the government. Often, they don't even respond to those asking about their dead. The Bombed On the same boat as 'Pichirilo,' the soccer player, were Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, two Trinidadians, whose relatives are now suing the U.S. government for their extrajudicial killings. The world learned of Chad and Samaroo because their families filed a legal complaint last January in a federal court in Massachusetts, seeking compensation for damages related to their deaths. According to the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, a member of this alliance, last December, in the village where Joseph was born—he was 26 years old at the time of the October 14 bombing—everyone had known him since childhood as a fisherman. He had left his hometown of Matelot, a fishing village on the Trinidadian coast, to live with an aunt in Las Cuevas, a community with lifelong ties to Venezuela. “It was Joseph’s family, being among the first to identify him among more than 100 people who have lost their lives in the attacks, who shone a human light on the people who have died as a result of the United States’ attacks in the Caribbean Sea. The human stories prompted members of Congress to begin putting pressure on the Trump administration, demanding transparency about these attacks and attempting to question and stop them,” wrote the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, two months after his presumed death. That same publication interviewed Lenore Burnley, Chad’s mother, who said that “since hearing the news, her life has been characterized by the contradictory storm of having a faint hope and the stark reality of Joseph’s sudden death, without a body to bury.” And when The Guardian asked her why she thought Joseph had risked going out, she replied: “I know the law of the sea; I’ve known it since I was young. If it’s a ship, or something like that, you’re supposed to stop it, you see? The law isn’t about killing people. Wherever you are, you shouldn’t kill people like that. This is the first time in my life, and I’m 51 years old. I’ve never heard of anything like this.” The local newspaper reported that, according to Chad Joseph’s partner, he had called her to say he was returning home from Venezuela. Sallycar Korasingh, Rishi Samaroo’s sister, said he was a hard-working man who had paid his debt to society and was just trying to get back on his feet and earn a decent living in Venezuela by raising cows and goats to help support his family, the ACLU said in a statement. “If the U.S. government believed Rishi had done something wrong, they should have arrested, charged, and detained him, not killed him. They must be held accountable,” said Korasingh. Representing Joseph’s mother and Samaroo’s sister in their case before the U.S. courts are the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Professor Jonathan Hafetz of Seton Hall Law School. The lawyers filed the suit under admiralty law, which allows individuals to seek compensation for damages from those responsible for wrongful death, as defined by the Death at Sea Act (DOHSA), recognized by the United States. They also invoked the Alien Torts Statute, which allows foreigners to sue in the United States for extrajudicial killings, prohibited under international human rights law. “The deaths of Joseph and Samaroo were clearly extrajudicial killings,” Steven Watt, one of the ACLU lawyers, explained to this journalistic alliance. They cannot be justified with arguments like those put forward by the Trump administration, that being in a war on drugs justifies the use of violent attacks, he said. Watt also said that his legal team, in a separate request based on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), requested the legal memorandum produced by the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice, which outlines the official legal rationale for these attacks, because the government has not made it public to date. The relatives of the Trinidadians maintain that neither of them was carrying drugs, that they were ordinary citizens returning to their homes in Las Cuevas, Trinidad, after working in Venezuela. According to local sources who spoke to ARI, the Venezuelan media coalition allied with this investigation, a man named Dushak Milovcic had traveled on the same boat attacked on October 14. An AP report stated that Milovcic, 24, “started as a lookout for smugglers,” had been at the Venezuelan National Guard Academy, and, according to sources who spoke to the AP reporter, was now involved with drug traffickers. The boat attacked on October 14 was not the only one suspected of carrying illegal drugs due to the high number of passengers. Several news outlets and observers also expressed doubts about the first boat bombed on September 2, 2025, which had 11 passengers on board. According to some people interviewed on the ground, who are familiar with the movement of the boats and spoke with allies of this investigation in La Guajira, Colombia, and Sucre, it is common for the same boats that carry drugs on their way to Venezuela to bring passengers back. The “captains,” as those who pilot these boats are called, sign up for any job that comes up. Reported by: Vera Ferrari “To all the narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you continue trafficking lethal drugs, we will kill you,” threatened Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of War, on November 7, the day after a deadly attack on a speedboat with three occupants in the Caribbean, off the coast of Colombia. With statements like these, anyone would imagine that multiple Pablo Escobars and Chapo Guzmans had just been killed. Reporters from this alliance found a very different reality. The remains of two people, presumably killed on November 6, appeared in Puerto López, Uribia, in La Guajira, Colombia. Various sources in La Guajira said the two men came from Pedernales, Dominican Republic, a province bordering Haiti in the Enriquillo region, where 72% of households live in poverty. A Dominican reporter confirmed to this alliance that dozens of young people leave from there to make a living in Colombia or elsewhere, and many are recruited to smuggle cocaine from the Colombian Caribbean coast back to the island in small boats. Since no one came to claim the bodies that washed ashore on the Colombian beach, because they had no relatives there, the Wayuu indigenous community living in that region buried them, as reported at the time by The New York Times. A month later, forensic technicians from the Colombian Institute of Legal Medicine arrived and exhumed them. According to the Colombian news outlet 360-grados.co, a partner in this journalistic collaboration, this occurred between December 12 and 13, and as of this writing, the bodies remain refrigerated at the Forensic Medicine Institute in Barranquilla. Sources from the Colombian Attorney General's Office indicated that one of the bodies exhumed in La Guajira likely did not come from the attacked boats, given its state of decomposition. Local sources stated that they knew that the remains of another Dominican man who died on the boat on November 6 were not found in Colombia. The body had been dragged beyond Castilletes, some 20 kilometers inland into Venezuelan territory, where it is believed that members of the Wayuu community buried it. We were unable to confirm this version. (See “The victims of the Southern Command who were buried in La Guajira”). These young Dominicans are not very different from those in Uribia, in the Colombian region of La Guajira, where they went to look for work. Uribia is the poorest municipality in Colombia: 92% of its residents lack education, healthcare, and basic public services. This makes it easy to recruit them to transport cocaine, and they are paid for it, according to a boatman interviewed by the news outlet 360. “Most of the people here aren't owners; most of the owners of the merchandise are always from outside, we could even say internationally: they buy the merchandise here [in Colombia] and then wait for it at its destination,” the boatman explained to this journalistic alliance. Dozens of Dominicans have fallen into this trap of hope for a better life, and many have disappeared. Now the uncertainty is even worse for their relatives because they don't know if they were killed by U.S. missiles. This is what a Dominican woman, who spoke with this alliance but prefers not to give her name, fears. She hasn't heard from her brother Francisco—who worked various jobs in the tourism sector and had agreed to transport a shipment of drugs—since he called her from a boat about to set sail for home. It was mid-November, and he was using a satellite phone. It was a short conversation. He asked about his parents and told her he was coming back. He never returned. The bombings have also led many victims not to report disappearances. The reason? According to Dominican journalist Manuel González Feliz, it's a mixture of fear and shame among family members. As in Pedernales or La Guajira, Colombia, for many communities on the Colombian Pacific coast, transporting cocaine is not a criminal choice, but a survival strategy. The isolation of this region of jungles and mangroves, which stretches 1,300 kilometers from north to south of the country, contributes to its poverty. In Tumaco, Colombia's second-largest Pacific port and the departure point for many transporters, 84% of the population lives in multidimensional poverty. Drug trafficking groups exploit this situation by offering jobs in laboratories, shipyards, and as transporters. “It's the only source of employment that keeps these communities going. I know it's illegal, but it's what we have,” explains Duván Caicedo, a community leader in the small village of Pital de Costa, nestled between a river and the jungle on Colombia's Pacific coast. The 1,200 inhabitants of the hamlet live without potable water or a health clinic, a two-hour boat ride from Tumaco and the nearest hospital. A cocaine processing lab is the only source of work. In Sucre, the Venezuelan state where Güiria is located, 90% of the population lacks food security. According to ARI, almost no one is exclusively involved in cocaine trafficking. These boats are the lifeblood of the people on that coast: they bring and take away food, fish, and medicine. They carry workers from Venezuela to Trinidad and back, fishermen going out to bring in the day's catch, migrants fleeing authoritarianism, and also traffickers. (See story "All the 'turns' in Güiria"). When they carry drugs, there are usually two or at most three people on board: a driver and two assistants. This investigation reveals that the victims of the US bombings who came from Güiria worked as fishermen, motorcycle taxi drivers, bus drivers, and some of them had risked making a trip with cocaine because they couldn't support their families. Thus, Juan Carlos Fuentes, 43, a lifelong driver, and Luis Ramón Amundaraín, a 36-year-old fisherman and motorcycle taxi driver, had been in Trinidad and Tobago since September 28, 2025. Juan Carlos, his wife says, was desperate for money. A Yutong bus he used for his livelihood was damaged, and he couldn't afford to repair it. He called her from Trinidad the day before the October 3 bombing in which he presumably died and told her he was about to leave; that he wasn't carrying drugs. Ramón, his partner says, "went to look for more income" because the earnings from fishing and motorcycle taxis were no longer enough for his family of seven. She told ARI reporters that her husband was a fisherman. "They say he's a narco-terrorist," she said, but she maintains that if he were, they would have assets, and they don't even own a house. His family believes he died with Juan Carlos on October 3. What the women say makes sense, because their husbands were coming from Trinidad and Tobago to Venezuela, and the drugs flow in the opposite direction. Another man, Eduard Hidalgo, 46, had been a skilled fisherman and had left for the United States at the end of 2014. He was deported a year later. A friend maintains that although he had transported various goods for the criminal bosses in the area, he didn't want to make any more trips, "but they forced him." She believes he died in the bombing of a boat on February 23. (See story "The gringos exploited them": How three Venezuelans ended up on the boats attacked by the United States) Fear and hunger It's not just the families of the dead who mourn them today. The shockwaves are also impacting the communities. For example, for several days, fishermen in the rural area of Buenaventura, Colombia's main Pacific port, suspended their work for fear of not returning home, although they gradually resumed fishing later. The municipality of Olaya Herrera, in Nariño, was the most affected. A person working in the region's humanitarian sector, who asked to remain anonymous, told this alliance that many people there depend on the money collected by truckers after completing a trip. "When they return, money comes into the community, commerce picks up, and everyone benefits," they said. With the fear of making trips transporting drugs, money stopped coming into the families. "We are experiencing a very difficult situation," says Father Luis Carrillo. "It started to be felt in November, but it became critical in February." In coordination with the Mayor's office, the priest requested assistance from the Food Bank in Bogotá, and in March, 700 food baskets arrived by boat from Buenaventura and were distributed in the town of Bocas de Satinga and the surrounding rural area. “Obviously, that doesn’t alleviate even one percent of the needs,” says the parish priest. Who is investigating? Authorities in no country, from the United States to Colombia or Mexico, reveal how much drug was lost, how many of those killed in bombings were transporting it, or their names. They haven’t even reported how they gathered the intelligence that led them to identify these victims as military targets. This journalistic alliance sent a questionnaire with these and other questions to the United States Southern Command. They responded that “for reasons of operational security and the protection of forces, we do not discuss intelligence or details about our operational processes and planning.” His spokesperson also said that “the threat that narco-terrorists and cartels pose to human life cannot be ignored. They have escalated their violence to unprecedented levels, going beyond mere criminal conduct by committing unspeakable acts of terror. It is not only their criminal rivals who are in their sights; they are waging war against law-abiding citizens, entire communities, and government institutions, carrying out atrocious acts to impose their will and satisfy their insatiable thirst for illicit income.” Sources at the Dominican Republic embassy in Colombia confirmed to this news team that the only information received regarding the possible deaths of two of their citizens came from a speech by Colombian President Gustavo Petro; however, no official steps have been taken to identify them. They described the matter as “politically sensitive.” In Ecuador, the Navy's Coast Guard Service has not released any details about the search and rescue operations for possible survivors that—according to the U.S.—began after a bombing in the Pacific on February 9, 2026, as confirmed by a reporter supporting this investigation in that country. In the Costa Rican Pacific, authorities recovered two bodies and one survivor. The two deceased were Ecuadorian. Reporters from this alliance were able to confirm with security sources in Ecuador that one of them, Pedro Ramón Holguín Holguín, owned a fish retail business in Manta, a coastal city that is now a center of drug trafficking activity in the country. They also established that the Ecuadorian embassy in Costa Rica assisted with the identification of the remains, but their bodies are still in a morgue in San José, the Costa Rican capital. Casa Macondo, an ally of this investigation in Colombia, sent information requests to various authorities. DIMAR, the Colombian maritime authority, asserted that no one had reported any bombings in its territorial waters. Last November, the Foreign Ministry convened a meeting with the Ministry of Defense, the Navy, and the National Intelligence Directorate. The result was that all entities stated they had no official information beyond what had been reported in the media. The written conclusion, signed by the Director of Territorial Sovereignty, Javier Pava Sánchez, was that “our sovereignty has not been violated.” Thirteen days after that meeting, the Colombian ambassador to the OAS addressed the Permanent Council to denounce these same attacks as violations of international law. On December 23, Colombia reiterated this denunciation at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The President of Colombia himself, Gustavo Petro, publicly stated that he had visited the home of Alejandro Andrés Carranza, a fisherman whose house was bombed on September 15, in Santa Marta, and had seen that he was living in poverty. He denounced these attacks as extrajudicial executions. Furthermore, he facilitated a meeting between a US lawyer and Carranza's family so they could consider filing a lawsuit for damages, according to the lawyer in question, Daniel Kovalik, who spoke to reporters from this alliance. Kovalik ultimately filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS, arguing that Carranza's death was an extrajudicial execution and that the United States therefore violated the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man. The verbal attacks between Presidents Trump and Petro, which had been escalating for some time, became heated after these statements. Finally, President Petro met with Trump at the White House, and the accusations subsided. Sources at the Colombian Foreign Ministry now claim that the issue is so sensitive that they neither mention it nor provide any information about it. One of Casa Macondo's requests for information did bear fruit and revealed an effect of these bombings that had gone unnoticed: that coinciding with the aerial attacks on the suspected boats, the number of disruptions to commercial flights in Colombia increased in 2025. Using information from Aerocivil (the Colombian civil aviation authority), Casa Macondo determined that between January and July 2025, between four and five incidents involving the GPS systems of commercial aircraft were reported monthly, a level within the expected range for any airspace. But from August onward, coinciding with the eve of the bombing campaign, the reports increased fivefold. For the year, it recorded a total of 251 reports of GPS failures and classified them as unrelated to its systems. It closed the case without investigating the cause. Aerocivil reported that during 18 commercial flights over the northern Caribbean, pilots experienced GPS malfunctions while crossing AMBAS—the name given to an air navigation coordinate system over the Caribbean Sea, north of Colombia, where routes connecting Bogotá and Medellín with Miami, New York, Santo Domingo, and Curaçao converge. The signal was lost for between eight minutes and an hour—while the aircraft were flying at altitudes between 30,000 and 40,000 feet (approximately nine to twelve kilometers)—and was restored upon leaving Colombian airspace. The GPS always shut down in the same location and always reconnected once the aircraft had moved away. In one of the cases reported by Aerocivil, a pilot's GPS failed, and then, due to another malfunction, the transponder—the device that tells ground radar where the aircraft is—stopped transmitting. In the cockpit, the anti-collision system alarms activated, as if the ground were close, when in reality the aircraft was thousands of feet in the air. The pilot, who spoke with this news alliance on condition of anonymity, said he was frightened because it had never happened to him before, but that airplanes have at least three redundant navigation systems, and there is always a backup when one fails. "There was no danger to the passengers," he said. By providing these records, the aviation authority acknowledged that these incidents constitute a "disruption to civil air navigation" and officially classified them under its "hazard identification" protocol for airspace safety. (See Story: Commercial planes flew with interference coinciding with US bombings of the boats) Attacks that undermine the fight against drug trafficking Missile strikes may be more spectacular and violent than the quiet, regular interception and seizure that President Trump had been denigrating as useless, but no less effective for that. Thus, while Trump celebrated his first bombing on September 2nd of the boat with 11 crew members, as an attack against terrorists from the Tren de Aragua gang “identified with certainty” and claimed that it was carrying “massive quantities of drugs,” the Vice President asserted that it was the best and highest use of the armed forces. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, echoing these statements the following day, asserted that intercepting drug-carrying boats had not worked. “Instead of intercepting them, we blew them up, following the President’s order. And it’s going to happen again,” he said. What the US government officials failed to mention is that on that same September 2nd, Operation Zeus took place, which, however, did not involve lightning from the sky like the bombing that killed the 11 crew members. In Operation Zeus, the Colombian Aerospace Force had detected a suspicious vessel in the same Caribbean waters and shared the coordinates with the Dominican Air Force. The latter, in coordination with the US Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) at Naval Air Station Key West in Florida, dispatched naval units to intercept it. They boarded the vessel, arrested its two crew members, and seized 448 kilograms of cocaine, turned over evidence to a criminal case, and there were no fatalities. It wasn't the only one. A CLIP investigation tracked regular counternarcotics interdictions in the Caribbean and Pacific conducted by U.S. entities in cooperation with European and Latin American countries between September 2025 and February 2026. The investigation relied on information from law enforcement and press reports in various languages and countries, and consulted public records available through Global Fishing Watch's API v3 and Vesseltracker. It found that, thanks to this international cooperation, at least 140 tons of cocaine were seized and 160 crew members were arrested and subsequently brought to justice without a single shot being fired. The investigation also revealed that, coinciding with the operation targeting speedboats, the Tasmanian-flagged tugboat Little Girls, the Greek fishing vessel Ourania A, and the older Turkish-owned vessel United S all passed through the Atlantic loaded with drugs. None of these vessels were destroyed by missiles. They waited until the vessels reached a safe location to immobilize them, seize the drugs they were carrying, and arrest their crews. Furthermore, the operation against the Ourania A led to the arrest of a known Greek drug trafficker. Regular anti-narcotics operations and lethal attacks were carried out in the same waters, during the same weeks, with intelligence coordination that in several cases passed through the same institutional nodes: the MAOC-N in Lisbon, the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JITF-S) in Key West, and the DEA. (See story: For large shipments, justice; for small ones, bombs). Who makes the decisions? Who ordered which vessel to blow up and which to let pass and then detain civilly? That's what we asked Southern Command. He did not answer the question, but instead sent the following comment: “Operation Southern Spear is being conducted under the orders of our Commander-in-Chief to defend U.S. homeland, protect regional partners, and maintain law and order by preventing narco-terrorists, cartels, and their network of accomplices from gaining a foothold in the Western Hemisphere through an overwhelming presence. The objective of the operation is to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the networks of cartels and other transnational organizations that the President of the United States, by executive order, has designated as terrorist organizations.” Legal experts have already raised concerns about the meaning of the term “narco-terrorist,” but Brian Finucane, senior advisor to the U.S. Program at the International Crisis Group and a former lawyer in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of State, told this alliance that the U.S. military’s comments in response to this report take those concerns a step further. “The law of war permits violence that would otherwise be prohibited, but only during a genuine armed conflict—a threshold the Trump administration has failed to reach, as it hasn’t even identified who the United States is supposed to be fighting,” he said. “Beyond that fundamental problem, the administration’s suggestion that vaguely defined ‘facilitators’ can be targeted raises further concerns that it is violating the rules of its own flawed legal paradigm.” While international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking proceeded normally and without fatalities during the six months from September to February, the multiple attacks carried out by the U.S. government left 140 dead, with no publicly reported cocaine seizures and destroying the forensic evidence that could lead to identifying the major drug traffickers who control the routes. In fact, the Colombian Attorney General's Office only opened a preliminary inquiry against survivor Jonathan Obando Pérez, according to El País América, "but does not foresee turning it into a formal investigation, as it lacks evidence to indicate that Obando Pérez committed any crime in Colombia." Therefore, after leaving the hospital, he was released. A source cited by AP from the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office also stated that it "did not find sufficient evidence to initiate legal action" against Andrés Fernando Tufiño, a survivor of an attack in the Caribbean on October 16. Due to potential violations of human rights and the law of the sea, authorities in the United Kingdom and Canada said they would not share intelligence with their counterparts in the United States, as reported by Time. British sources told the magazine last November that "British officials believe that the US military strikes that have killed 76 people violate international law" and, therefore, suspended cooperation on these types of attacks in October. And Canadian sources said that their government “does not want its intelligence to help locate ships as targets for deadly strikes.” Last January, the Dutch Defense Minister said in Aruba that interdiction operations would continue in his country's territorial waters, but they would not use their naval station ship for operations related to the United States' Operation Southern Spear (the bombing operation). “No European country, including France, will send operational intelligence to the Americans in the current situation if it could be used as a basis for a military attack on a ship,” Dimitro Zoulas, head of the French police's anti-drug service, told Radio Caraibes (RCI). And Euractiv confirmed with a French security source that “it is 100 percent clear that the Europeans are not giving the United States any intelligence that could lead to a strike (against the ships).” The Colombian government had announced something similar, but a high-ranking diplomatic official who spoke with CLIP and asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said that Colombia continues to share its intelligence with its U.S. counterpart as usual, but did not specify for which operations. In response to these criticisms, the Southern Command sent to this journalistic alliance, stating: “U.S. forces operate under rules of engagement that are consistent with international maritime law against activities that pose a direct threat to U.S. security and the lives of U.S. citizens. As a military organization entrusted with the defense of our homeland, we are fully committed to missions that directly support the health and safety of the American people.” Last April, a coalition of 125 civil society organizations from around the world (including Airwars, which provided expert information to this journalistic alliance, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, among others) issued an urgent public appeal for countries to “immediately stop or refrain from supporting extrajudicial killings by the United States in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.” “We must remember that all these individuals have names, families, and lives that will never be the same,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU’s Human Rights Program, at a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS (IACHR) on April 13. That organization, in addition to representing the two Trinidadian victims before a U.S. federal court, asked the IACHR to declare that missile strikes on vessels violate international law and proposed the creation of a special group to investigate the implications these strikes have had in the hemisphere. Why do they do it, then? It's difficult to understand why the Trump administration insists on continuing the bombings, despite their failure to stem the flow of drugs. Even Admiral Nathan Moore, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Atlantic Area, a proponent of using all methods, including bombings, acknowledged that they haven't seen any noticeable difference in the flow of cocaine. Moore stated, after 21 bombings in November 2025, that neither the traffickers' routes, nor the pace, nor the purity of the drug have changed. It's likely they succeeded in getting traffickers to stop using some routes, especially those used by go-fast boats—according to an analysis by InSight Crime, a media outlet specializing in organized crime—but the operation didn't "prevent traffickers from moving cocaine by other means," such as increasing their use of the Amazon route. Nor is it difficult for major drug traffickers to replace the dead with other men drawn into their networks by desperation, poverty, and unemployment, as these are plentiful along Latin American coasts. Attacking the weakest link in the multibillion-dollar drug trafficking business is nothing new. Our countries have been doing it without solving the problem for over 50 years. This new strategy of blowing up boats and killing unknown suspects takes this policy to the extreme. Missiles have caused tremendous suffering and plunge poor families and communities into even greater hardship, unable to defend themselves against the majestic U.S. military power or its omnipresent rhetoric. Furthermore, as discussed here, it alienates international cooperation and leaves the United States more isolated in the face of crime. Why then persist on such a risky and fruitless path for more than eight months? “The Trump administration believes in the show of force for reasons that have very little to do with effective interdiction,” says Walsh of WOLA. “They want to impress citizens, making them believe that they are finally putting an end to the terrible problem of drug trafficking, something other governments failed to do. The profound cruelty and callousness with which they order these systematic and intentional killings allows them to project the threatening nature of nameless ‘narco-terrorists.’ In this way, they shock many Americans while numbing the notion that the U.S. officials responsible for these killings must be held accountable.” The figure of President Trump and his top War and State officials, accompanying their bombings with explosive videos and triumphant social media posts, orchestrates a spectacle of disproportionate power against humble men, mostly poor, and in any case, only suspected of transporting drugs. As a Venezuelan woman, the wife of a man killed in a bombing, said, “Donald Trump didn’t stop to think; he’s killing a father and doesn’t know why this man got on that boat.” Do you have more information about this story? Write to us at investigaciones@elclip.org

“Reportan el fallecimiento del popular Pichirilo, gran talento deportivo Valdeciano. Nuestras palabras de condolencias a sus familiares”, publicó el 15 de octubre de 2025 @elshowderuben, una página de Facebook del programa del mismo nombre en la Emisora Radio Güiria Internacional de Venezuela. Su comentario tuvo 483 reacciones de emojis llorando, o de personas lamentando su muerte.  “Pichirilo no sabes cómo me duele tu noticia, nunca te voy a olvidar”, escribió una amiga. “Descansa en paz, Eduardo popular pichirilo”, “que en paz descanses pana pichirilo excelente deportista. Gran talento frente al arco.”, dijeron otros.  El día anterior, el 14 de octubre, un misil disparado por militares estadounidenses había volado una lancha fuera de la costa venezolana, frente a Güiria, un pueblo en el municipio de Valdés, del estado Sucre y  punto de salida hacia Trinidad y Tobago. Según se vio en el video oficial del gobierno estadounidense, la embarcación estaba quieta cuando la atacaron. Era el quinto golpe que propinaba Estados Unidos a barcos en el Caribe. Con las seis personas que cayeron ahí, completaban ya 27 muertos.   El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump  aseguró en su red social que su secretario de Guerra, Pete Hegseth, había dado la orden de asestar ese golpe en una ruta conocida de tráfico de drogas, en aguas internacionales, y que inteligencia de su país “confirmó que la lancha traficaba narcóticos” y estaba asociada a redes de narcoterroristas. El locutor radial del @showderuben le dijo a reporteros de esta alianza periodística que él publicó la noticia de Pichirilo porque sabía que era muy conocido en Güiria. “Este es un pueblo pequeño y aquí todo el mundo se conoce”, explicó, aunque negó saber nada acerca de las circunstancias en las que murió.  Reporteros de Alianza Rebelde Investiga (ARI) –una coalición de los medios independientes venezolanos Runrunes, Tal Cual y El Pitazo –, aliados a esta investigación, confirmaron en Güiria que el nombre de Pichirilo era Eduardo Jaime, y que era un jugador de fútbol de sala, querido en ese pueblo costero del Caribe venezolano. Una familiar le confirmó luego por teléfono a esta alianza que Eduardo Jaime venía en la lancha volada el 14 de octubre.  Desde septiembre de 2025 y hasta el 26 de abril pasado, en la llamada Operación Lanza del Sur (Southern Spear), las fuerzas militares de Estados Unidos llevaban 58 embarcaciones destruidas a golpes de misil y habían causado la muerte a 172 personas como Eduardo Jaime –según confirmó el Comando Sur de los Estados Unidos en respuesta por correo a las preguntas que envió este equipo periodístico.  Desde entonces, y hasta el 5 de mayo, cuando se cerró esta historia, el gobierno de ese país ha anunciado públicamente que realizó otros dos ataques donde mataron otras cinco personas.  Las autoridades estadounidenses además contabilizaron en total a otros 12 desaparecidos, que se presumen muertos. No obstante, esta alianza periodística verificó con fuentes en Costa Rica, que de tres presumidos sobrevivientes, luego de un bombardeo en marzo en el mar frente a ese país, dos fallecieron antes de llegar a tierra. Así, la cuenta de los muertos llega 179 hasta el 5 de mayo.  En su respuesta escrita, el Comando Sur de ese país dijo que “cada acción tomada durante la Operación Southern Spear (Lanza del Sur) es deliberada, legal y precisa, dirigida directamente contra los narcoterroristas y sus facilitadores. Tenemos plena confianza en los profesionales de operaciones e inteligencia que informan nuestras misiones”. (Ver toda la respuesta aquí) No obstante, días después del ataque en que murió Pichirilo, en ese mismo octubre, funcionarios del gobierno de Trump reconocieron en reportes a congresistas y sus asistentes que no sabían la identidad ni la historia de las personas que matan, según reveló The Intercept. “Es una tragedia doble no sólo por los asesinatos ilegales, sino que las víctimas son borradas, convertidas en anónimas”, dijo, en entrevista telefónica con el CLIP, John Walsh, de WOLA, una organización de defensa de los derechos humanos en Latinoamérica basada en Washington.  Coincidiendo con Walsh y muchos otros, entre expertos en derechos humanos, congresistas, ex funcionarios del gobierno estadounidense y organizaciones civiles, que han cuestionado la legalidad de matar a estos hombres por la sola sospecha de que podían estar transportando drogas, desde diciembre pasado, una alianza periodística transnacional se dio a la tarea de ponerles nombre a estos muertos, convencidos de que  al conocer sus rostros e historias, emergerá su humanidad.  La alianza, coordinada por el Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística, CLIP, que reúne a los medios de la región ARI de Venezuela; 360, Casa Macondo y Verdad Abierta de Colombia; Guardian de Trinidad Tobago; y periodistas freelance en República Dominicana, Ecuador, Costa Rica y México con el apoyo técnico y financiero de Airwars, hoy lanza los primeros hallazgos de la investigación Bombardeados, sin derecho a la defensa.  Esta investigación colaborativa ha sido una labor de filigrana, tejiendo hilos sueltos de muchas tragedias. Para ello, hemos visitado caseríos y pueblos costeros en La Guajira y Nariño, en Colombia y en Sucre, Venezuela; entrevistado a familiares, amigos y conocidos de víctimas, autoridades y reporteros locales en cinco países; rastreado y verificado cientos de posteos en redes sociales; identificado decenas de publicaciones de medios reconocidos en múltiples países e idiomas; realizado decenas de peticiones de información a autoridades; contactado fiscalías, hospitales, morgues y embajadas; y hemos verificado registros públicos y judiciales. Con toda esa información, construimos una base de datos que, esperamos, contribuya al elevar la consciencia de que estos hombres eran seres humanos, que merecían haber sido juzgados si eran sospechosos de cometer algún delito.  La mayoría de las fuentes son anónimas porque todo el mundo teme hablar. Algunos familiares de víctimas en Venezuela y en Santa Marta (Colombia), según confirmaron fuentes consultadas a esta alianza,  dicen haber recibido amenazas. Otros no quieren contar nada porque temen represalias de sus gobiernos o, peor, de los señores del narco que mandan en donde viven. Las entidades han resultado herméticas y los funcionarios que responden, sólo lo hacen off the record porque no quieren meter en líos a sus países con Estados Unidos. Sumando las personas que otros medios y organizaciones han conseguido nombrar y las nuevas víctimas mortales identificadas por esta alianza periodística, hemos podido conseguir los nombres y apellidos de 16 de los muertos en estos ataques. De dos más, identificamos su nacionalidad; y de otro, su apodo. De otras dos personas, cuyos restos fueron a dar a la playa al norte colombiano días después de un ataque, tenemos datos de quiénes eran, pero no sabemos con certeza si cayeron en un bombardeo. De otra posible víctima tenemos su nombre completo. Identificamos a tres sobrevivientes heridos. Es buscar agujas en un pajar de 179 ejecutados, desde el 2 de septiembre hasta el 5 de mayo, y seguimos contando… Cada explosión destroza al barco y a sus tripulantes, fuesen traficantes, pasajeros o pescadores, en mil pedazos. Sus identidades volaron al viento sobre océanos inmensos.  Esta colaboración periodística transfronteriza también encontró que la ola destructiva no para ahí. Como lo retratará la reportería en terreno, la Operación Southern Spear ha deshilachado además el tejido de comunidades, de por sí rotas y doblegadas por el crimen organizado y la ausencia de Estado, y ha aterrorizado a pescadores y viajantes, al punto que paró la economía de un pueblo nariñense. También verificamos que en el Caribe colombiano perturbó al menos 18 vuelos comerciales. Más allá, documentamos cómo ha fragmentado la cooperación internacional de combate a las drogas ilegales, porque otras democracias temen estar involucrados en acciones que desconozcan acuerdos internacionales que rigen el mar y el derecho internacional sobre los derechos humanos. Reverbera con la onda explosiva el temor entre funcionarios y fiscalías de revelar detalles de los rescates o sus coordenadas, pues el vecino del Norte puede revirar con nuevos aranceles o ataques personales a los gobernantes. Muchas veces, ni siquiera les responden a quienes están preguntando por sus muertos.  Los bombardeados En el mismo bote de ‘Pichirilo’, el jugador de fútbol, viajaban Chad Joseph y Rishi Samaroo, dos trinitenses, cuyas parientes ahora reclaman al gobierno estadounidense por sus ejecuciones extrajudiciales. De Chad y Samaroo se enteró el mundo porque sus familias presentaron una queja legal en enero pasado ante una corte federal de Massachusetts, Estados Unidos, buscando ser indemnizadas por daños y perjuicios por sus muertes.  Según reportó el Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, miembro de esta alianza, en diciembre pasado, en el pueblo donde nació Joseph –quien tenía 26 años al momento del  bombardeo del 14 de octubre – todos lo conocían desde niño como pescador. Se había ido desde su natal Matelot, un pueblo pesquero en la costa trinitense, a vivir a donde una tía en Las Cuevas, una comunidad con lazos de toda la vida con Venezuela.  “Fue la familia de Joseph, al ser una de las primeras en identificarlo entre más de 100 personas que han perdido su vida en los ataques, la que arrojó una luz humana sobre las personas que han muerto como resultado de los ataques de los Estados Unidos en el mar Caribe. Las historias humanas hicieron que congresistas comenzaran a ponerle presión al gobierno de Trump al pedir transparencia sobre estos ataques y al intentar cuestionarlos y detenerlos”, escribió el Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, al cumplirse dos meses de su presunta muerte.  Ese mismo medio entrevistó a Lenore Burnley, madre de Chad, quien dijo que “desde que supo la noticia, su vida se ha caracterizado por la tormenta contradictoria de tener una vaga esperanza y la cruda realidad de la súbita muerte de Joseph, sin que haya un cuerpo para enterrar”.  Y cuando Guardian le preguntó por qué creía que Joseph se había arriesgado a salir, ella respondió: “sé de la ley del mar; la conozco desde que era joven. Si es un barco, o una cosa así, se supone que tienes que detenerlo, ¿ves? La ley no consiste en matar a personas. Donde sea que estés, no debes matar a personas así. Esta es la primera vez en mi vida, y tengo 51 años. Nunca he escuchado de algo así”. Dijo el citado diario local que, según la la pareja de Chad Joseph, él la había llamado para decirle que iba de regreso a casa desde Venezuela.  Sallycar Korasingh, la hermana de Rishi Samaroo, había contado que él era un hombre trabajador que había pagado su deuda con la sociedad y solo intentaba recuperarse y ganarse la vida dignamente en Venezuela criando vacas y cabras para ayudar a mantener a su familia, según informó ACLU en un comunicado . “Si el gobierno de Estados Unidos creía que Rishi había hecho algo malo, debería haberlo arrestado, acusado y detenido, no asesinado. Deben rendir cuentas”, dijo Korasingh. Representan a la madre de Joseph y a la hermana de Samaroo en su caso ante la justicia estadounidense, la Asociación Americana de Derechos Civiles (más conocida como ACLU, por su sigla en inglés) , el Centro para los Derechos Constitucionales y el profesor Jonathan Hafetz, de la Escuela de Derecho Setton Hall.   Los abogados lo presentaron bajo la ley de demandas del almirantazgo, que les permite a personas reclamar compensación por daños a quien haya cometido una muerte por negligencia (wrongful death, en inglés), según el Acta de Muerte en Altamar (DOHSA), reconocida por Estados Unidos. Así mismo, invocaron el viejo Estatuto de Reclamación de Agravios Contra Extranjeros (Alien Torts Statute) que permite a los extranjeros reclamar en Estados Unidos por ejecuciones extrajudiciales, prohibidos en las leyes internacionales de Derechos Humanos.  “Las muertes de Joseph y Samaroo fueron claramente ejecuciones extrajudiciales”, explicó a esta alianza periodística Steven Watt, uno de los abogados de ACLU. No se pueden justificar con argumentos como los esgrimidos por el gobierno Trump, de que estar en guerra contra las drogas les justifica el uso de los ataques violentos, dijo.  Watt dijo además que su equipo legal, en una demanda independiente de ésta, basada en el Acta de Libertad de Información (FOIA por su sigla en inglés), pidió el memorando legal producido por la Oficina de Consejería Legal de del Departamento de Justicia, que expone la racionalidad jurídica oficial de estos ataques, porque el gobierno no la ha hecho público hasta ahora.  Las parientes de los trinitenses aseguran que ninguno de los dos llevaba drogas, que eran ciudadanos corrientes que estaban regresando a sus casas en Las Cuevas, en Trinidad, después de trabajar en Venezuela.   Según dijeron fuentes locales a ARI, la coalición periodística de medios venezolanos aliada de esta investigación, un hombre llamado Dushak Milovcic habría viajado en ese mismo barco atacado el 14 de octubre. Un reporte de la AP, informó que Milovcic, de 24 años, “comenzó como vigía para contrabandistas”, había estado en la Academia de la Guardia Nacional de Venezuela y, según dijeron fuentes a la reportera de esa agencia, ahora estaba involucrado con los transportadores de droga.  El del 14 de octubre no fue el único barco del que se sospecha no llevaba drogas ilegales por el alto número de pasajeros que transportaba. Varios medios de prensa y observadores también expresaron su duda frente al primer barco bombardeado el 2 de septiembre de 2025, en el que iban 11 pasajeros. Según algunos entrevistados en terreno, que conocen el movimiento de las lanchas y hablaron con aliados de esta investigación en La Guajira colombiana y en Sucre, es frecuente que las mismas embarcaciones que de ida llevan droga, de vuelta traigan pasajeros. Los “capitanes”, como se les dice a quienes pilotean esos barcos, se apuntan a cualquier trabajo que salga.  Realización: Vera Ferrari “A todos los narcoterroristas que amenazan nuestra patria: si quieren seguir vivos, paren de traficar drogas. Si siguen traficando drogas letales, los vamos a matar”, amenazó  Pete Hegseth, secretario de Guerra de Estados Unidos el 7 de noviembre, al otro día de un golpe mortal a una lancha con tres ocupantes en el Caribe, frente a las costas colombianas.  Por calificativos como estos, cualquiera imagina que acaban de matar a múltiples Pablos Escobares y Chapos Guzmanes.  Los reporteros de esta alianza encontraron una realidad muy distinta.  Restos de dos personas, presumiblemente caídos ese 6 de noviembre, aparecieron en Puerto López, Uribia, en La Guajira colombiana. Distintas fuentes guajiras dijeron que eran dos hombres provenientes de Pedernales, República Dominicana, una provincia fronteriza con Haití, en la región de Enriquillo, con 72% de los hogares en pobreza. Un reportero dominicano le confirmó a esta alianza que desde allí salen decenas de jóvenes a rebuscarse la vida en Colombia o en otros lados, y muchos son enganchados para traer cocaína desde las costas colombianas en el Caribe de vuelta a la isla, en viajes en lancha.  Como nadie venía a reclamar los cadáveres que llegaron a la playa colombiana, porque allí no tenían parientes, la comunidad indígena wayúu que habita en esa región los enterró, según reportó en su momento The New York Times. Un mes después, llegaron los técnicos forenses del Instituto de Medicina Legal colombiano y los exhumaron.  Según verificó el medio colombiano 360-grados.co, aliado de esta colaboración periodística, eso ocurrió entre el 12 y 13 de diciembre y, hasta el cierre de esta edición, permanecen refrigerados en Medicina Legal de Barranquilla. Fuentes de la Fiscalía colombiana indicaron que uno de los cadáveres desenterrados en La Guajira probablemente no provenía de las embarcaciones atacadas, dado su estado de descomposición.  Fuentes locales afirmaron saber que los restos del cuerpo de otro dominicano caído en la embarcación del 6 de noviembre no se encontraron en Colombia. El cuerpo había sido arrastrado más allá de Castilletes, unos 20 kilómetros tierra adentro en territorio venezolano, donde se cree que miembros de la comunidad wayúu lo enterraron. No pudimos confirmar esta versión.  (Ver “Las víctimas del Comando Sur a las que les echaron tierra en La Guajira”).  Esos jóvenes dominicanos no son muy distintos a los de Uribia, en La Guajira colombiana, la región a donde fueron a buscar trabajo. Este último es el municipio más pobre de Colombia: el 92% no tiene educación, ni salud, ni servicios públicos. Por ello es fácil engancharlos para acarrear cocaína y les pagan, según declaró un lanchero con el que habló el medio 360.   “La mayoría de la gente acá no son dueños, la mayoría de los dueños de la mercancía siempre son de afuera, podemos decir hasta internacionalmente: que compran la mercancía acá [en Colombia] y ellos mismos la esperan en su destino“, explicó el lanchero a esta alianza periodística.  Por ese agujero de la esperanza de hacerse una vida mejor han caído decenas de dominicanos y muchos han desaparecido. Ahora la incertidumbre es peor para sus parientes porque no saben si fueron volados por los misiles estadounidenses. Es lo que teme una mujer dominicana, con quien habló esta alianza, pero que prefiere no dar su nombre. Ella no sabe nada de su hermano Francisco –quien hacía diversos oficios en el sector turístico y había aceptado llevar una carga de drogas– desde que la llamó desde una lancha a punto de zarpar rumbo a casa. Fue a mediados de noviembre pasado y estaba usando un teléfono satelital. Fue una charla corta. Él preguntó por sus padres y le anunció su regreso. Nunca volvió.  Los bombardeos además han llevado a muchas víctimas a no denunciar las desapariciones. ¿La razón? Según el periodista dominicano Manuel González Feliz, es una mezcla de miedo y vergüenza entre los familiares.  Como en Pedernales o en La Guajira colombiana, para muchas comunidades de la costa Pacífica colombiana, el trabajo de transportar cocaína no es una elección criminal, sino una estrategia de supervivencia. El aislamiento de esta región de selvas y manglares que se extiende 1.300 kilómetros de norte a sur del país influye en que sea tan pobre. En Tumaco, el segundo puerto colombiano sobre el Pacífico, de donde salen muchos de los transportadores, un 84% de sus habitantes vive en la pobreza multidimensional. Y los grupos de narcotráfico se aprovechan ofreciendo trabajo en laboratorios, astilleros de embarcaciones y como transportistas. “Es la única fuente de empleo que mueve estas comunidades. Sé que es ilegal, pero es lo que hay”, explica Duván Caicedo, líder comunitario del pequeño poblado de Pital de Costa, situado entre un río y la selva en el Pacífico colombiano. Los 1.200 habitantes del caserío viven sin agua potable y sin puesto de salud, a dos horas en lancha desde Tumaco y desde el hospital más cercano. Un laboratorio de procesamiento de cocaína es la única fuente de trabajo. En Sucre, el estado de Venezuela donde queda Güiria, el 90 % de la gente no tiene segura su alimentación.  Según reporteó ARI, casi nadie se dedica exclusivamente a hacer viajes que lleven cocaína. Esas lanchas mueven la vida cotidiana de la gente en esa costa: traen y llevan comida, pescado, medicinas. En ellas viajan trabajadores de Venezuela a Trinidad y de regreso, o pescadores que salen a traer la pesca del día, migrantes que huyen del autoritarismo y también traficantes. (Ver historia Todas las”vueltas” en Güiria). Cuando cargan drogas, generalmente van dos o máximo tres personas, un conductor y dos ayudantes. Esta investigación revela que las víctimas de los bombardeos estadounidenses provenientes de Güiria se dedicaban a la pesca, a conducir mototaxi, a manejar bus, y  algunos de ellos se habían arriesgado a hacer un viaje con cocaína porque no podían sostener a sus familias. Así, Juan Carlos Fuentes, 43 años, chofer de “toda la vida”, y Luis Ramón Amundaraín, pescador y mototaxista, 36 años, estaban en Trinidad y Tobago desde el 28 de septiembre de 2025. Juan Carlos, dice su esposa, estaba desesperado por falta de dinero. Se le dañó un bus Yutong del que vivía y no lo pudo reparar.  Él la llamó desde Trinidad la víspera del bombardeo del 3 de octubre en que presumiblemente cayó y le dijo que estaba por salir; que no llevaba droga.  Ramón, dice su compañera, “se fue para buscar más ingresos” porque la ganancia de la pesca y los traslados en moto habían dejado de ser suficientes para su familia de siete. Ella contó a los reporteros de ARI que su esposo se dedicaba a la pesca. “Dicen que él es un narcoterrorista”, dijo, pero asegura que si lo fuera tendrían bienes, y ni siquiera tienen casa propia. Su familia cree que él murió con Juan Carlos el 3 de octubre.   Tiene sentido lo que dicen las mujeres, porque sus maridos venían de Trinidad y Tobago hacia Venezuela y las drogas fluyen en sentido contrario. Otro más, Eduard Hidalgo, de 46 años, había sido ducho pescador y se había ido a finales de 2024 a Estados Unidos. Lo deportaron un año después. Sostiene una amiga que si bien había transportado diversas mercancías para los jefes criminales de la zona, no quería hacer más viajes, “pero lo obligaron”.  Ella cree que cayó en el bombardeo de una lancha el 23 de febrero pasado.  (Ver historia “Los explotaron los gringos”: Cómo tres venezolanos terminaron en las lanchas atacadas por Estados Unidos) Miedo y hambre No sólo las familias de los muertos hoy los lloran.  La ondas expansivas también impactan a las comunidades. Por ejemplo, durante algunos días, pescadores de la zona rural de Buenaventura, el principal puerto colombiano sobre el Pacífico, suspendieron sus faenas por el temor de no regresar a sus hogares, aunque luego las retomaron paulatinamente.  El municipio de Olaya Herrera, en Nariño, salió más afectado. Una persona que trabaja en el sector humanitario de la región y pidió anonimato, le dijo a esta alianza que allí muchos viven del dinero que recogen los transportistas al completar un viaje. “Cuando regresan, entra plata a la comunidad, el comercio se mueve y todos se benefician”, dijo. Con el miedo a hacer viajes transportando drogas no volvió a ingresar dinero a las familias.  “Estamos viviendo una situación muy pesada”, dice el párroco Luis Carrillo. “Se empezó a sentir desde noviembre, pero se volvió crítica en febrero”. En coordinación con la Alcaldía, el sacerdote solicitó ayuda al Banco de Alimentos en Bogotá y en marzo llegaron en barco desde Buenaventura 700 canastas con alimentos que se repartieron en la cabecera municipal de Bocas de Satinga y la zona rural. “Obviamente eso no mitiga ni el uno por ciento de las necesidades”, dice el párroco. ¿Quién investiga? Las autoridades de ningún país, desde Estados Unidos hasta Colombia o México, revelan cuánta droga se hundió, ni cuantos de los caídos en bombardeos la transportaban, ni sus nombres. Ni siquiera han informado cómo recogieron la información de inteligencia que los llevó a señalar a esas víctimas como objetivo militar.   Esta alianza periodística envió un cuestionario con estas y otras preguntas al Comando Sur de los Estados Unidos. Este respondió que “por razones de seguridad operativa y protección de las fuerzas, no discutimos inteligencia ni detalles sobre nuestros procesos y planificación operativos”. También dijo su vocero que “no se puede ignorar la amenaza que los narcoterroristas y los cárteles representan para la vida humana. Han intensificado su violencia hasta niveles sin precedentes, yendo más allá de la mera conducta criminal al cometer actos de terror indescriptibles. No son solo sus rivales criminales quienes están en su mira; están librando una guerra contra ciudadanos respetuosos de la ley, comunidades enteras e instituciones gubernamentales, llevando a cabo actos atroces para imponer su voluntad y satisfacer su insaciable ansia de ingresos ilícitos”. Fuentes de la embajada de República Dominicana en Colombia confirmaron a este equipo periodístico que la única información recibida sobre la posible muerte de dos de sus connacionales proviene de una alocución del presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro; sin embargo, no se han iniciado gestiones oficiales para su identificación. Calificaron el asunto como “políticamente sensible”. En Ecuador, el Servicio de Guardacostas de la Armada no ha revelado ningún detalle sobre las operaciones de rescate de posibles sobrevivientes que —según dijo EE. UU— inició tras un bombardeo en el Pacífico el 9 de febrero de 2026, según confirmó un reportero que apoya esta investigación en ese país. En el Pacífico costarricense, las autoridades rescataron dos muertos y un sobreviviente. Los dos fallecidos eran ecuatorianos. Reporteros de esta alianza pudieron confirmar con fuentes de seguridad en Ecuador que uno de ellos, Pedro Ramón Holguín Holguín, tenía un negocio minorista de venta de pescado en Manta, una ciudad costera que es hoy centro de la actividad narcotraficante en el país.  Lograron establecer, además, que la embajada de Ecuador en Costa Rica ayudó con la identificación de los restos, pero sus cuerpos, a la fecha, siguen en una morgue en San José, la capital costarricense.  Casa Macondo, un aliado de esta investigación en Colombia, envió peticiones de información a diversas autoridades. La DIMAR, la autoridad marítima colombiana, aseguró que nadie le reportó que hubo bombardeos en sus aguas territoriales. La Cancillería convocó en noviembre pasado a  una reunión con el Ministerio de Defensa, la Armada y la Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia. El resultado fue que todas las entidades dijeron no tener información oficial más allá de los medios de comunicación. La conclusión escrita, firmada por el Director de Soberanía Territorial Javier Pava Sánchez, fue que “nuestra soberanía no ha sido vulnerada”. Trece días después de esa reunión, el embajador colombiano ante la OEA intervino en el Consejo Permanente para denunciar esos mismos ataques como violaciones al derecho internacional. El 23 de diciembre, Colombia repitió la denuncia en una reunión de emergencia del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU.  El mismo presidente de Colombia, Gustavo Petro, dijo públicamente que había visitado la casa de un pescador bombardeado el 15 de septiembre, Alejandro Andrés Carranza, en Santa Marta, y había visto que vivía en la pobreza. Denunció estos ataques como ejecuciones extrajudiciales. Además, facilitó una reunión de un abogado estadounidense con los familiares de Carranza para que estos consideraran demandar por daños sufridos, según contó el abogado en cuestión, Daniel Kovalik, a reporteros de esta alianza. Finalmente, Kovalik presentó una denuncia ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de la OEA, argumentando que la de Carranza fue una ejecución extrajudicial y que por ello Estados Unidos violó la Declaración Americana de los Derechos y Deberes del Hombre.  Los ataques verbales entre los presidentes Trump y Petro, que venían escalando de tiempo atrás, se tornaron álgidos luego de esta declaraciones.  Finalmente, el presidente Petro se reunió con Trump en la Casa Blanca, y las denuncias se acallaron. Fuentes de Cancillería colombiana ahora aseguran que el tema es tan sensible que no lo mencionan, ni dan información al respecto.  Uno de los pedidos de información de Casa Macondo sí fructificó y reveló un efecto de estos bombardeos que había pasado desapercibido: que coincidiendo con los ataques desde el cielo a los botes bajo sospecha, subió el número de disrupciones a  vuelos comerciales en Colombia en 2025. Con información de la Aerocivil (la autoridad colombiana de aviación civil), Casa Macondo estableció que entre enero y julio de 2025 se habían reportado mensualmente entre cuatro y cinco incidentes involucrando a los GPS de los aviones comerciales, un nivel dentro de los rangos esperados para cualquier espacio aéreo. Pero desde agosto, coincidiendo con la víspera del inicio de la campaña de bombardeos, los reportes se multiplicaron por cinco. En el año contabilizó un total de 251 reportes de fallas de GPS y las clasificó como ajenas a sus sistemas. Cerró el expediente sin investigar qué las causaba.  Aerocivil informó que durante 18 vuelos comerciales que volaban en el Caribe norte, los pilotos dieron cuenta de fallas en los GPS de los aviones, al cruzar AMBAS –como se le llama a una coordenada de navegación aérea sobre el mar Caribe, al norte de Colombia, donde convergen las rutas que conectan Bogotá y Medellín con Miami, Nueva York, Santo Domingo y Curazao. La señal permanecía perdida entre ocho minutos y una hora —mientras los aviones cruzaban a alturas de entre 30.000 y 40.000 pies, es decir, entre nueve y doce kilómetros de altura—, y se recuperaba al salir del espacio aéreo colombiano. El GPS siempre se apagó en el mismo lugar. Siempre se volvió a encender cuando el avión se alejó. En uno de los casos reportados por Aerocivil,  a un piloto le fallaron los GPS y luego por otra falla, el transponder —el dispositivo que le dice al radar en tierra dónde está el avión— dejó de transmitir y en la cabina, se encendieron las alarmas del sistema antichoque, como si el suelo estuviera cerca, cuando en realidad iba a miles de pies de altura.  El piloto de la aeronave, que habló con esta alianza periodística pidiendo reserva del nombre, aseguró que se asustó porque nunca le había pasado, pero que los aviones tienen al menos tres sistemas redundantes de navegación, y siempre hay alternativa cuando uno se apaga. “No hubo peligro para los pasajeros”, dijo.  Al suministrar estos registros, la autoridad aérea reconoció que estos episodios constituyen una “afectación a la navegación aérea civil” y los clasificó oficialmente bajo su protocolo de “identificación de peligros” para la seguridad del espacio aéreo. (Ver Historia Aviones comerciales volaron con interferencias coincidentes con los bombardeos de EE.UU a las lanchas) Ataques que socavan la lucha contra el narco Los golpes de misil pueden ser más espectaculares y violentos que la silenciosa interceptación e incautación regular que el presidente Trump venía denigrando como inútil, pero no por ello, más eficaz. Así, mientras Trump celebraba su primer bombazo del 2 de septiembre a la lancha con 11 tripulantes, como un ataque contra terroristas del Tren de Aragua “identificados con certeza” y aseguraba que llevaba “cantidades masivas de drogas”, el vicepresidente aseguró que era el mejor uso y más elevado uso de sus fuerza armadas. El secretario de Estado Marco Rubio, haciendo eco de esta declaraciones el día siguiente, aseguró que interceptar a las lanchas que llevan drogas no había funcionado. “En lugar de interceptarlas, las volamos, siguiendo la orden del Presidente. Y va a pasar de nuevo”, dijo.   Lo que no contaron los dirigentes del gobierno estadounidense es que ese mismo 2 de septiembre ocurrió la Operación Zeus, que sin embargo, no lanzó rayos desde el cielo, como la del bombazo a los 11 tripulantes. En esta Operación Zeus, la Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana había detectado una embarcación sospechosa en las mismas aguas del Caribe, y compartió las coordenadas con la Fuerza Aérea dominicana.  Esta última, con la coordinación de la  Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Interinstitucional del Sur de Estados Unidos (JIATF-S por su sigla en inglés), en la Base Naval Aérea de Key West en Florida, envió a unidades de su armada a interceptarla. Abordaron la embarcación, apresaron a sus dos tripulantes e incautaron 448 kilos de cocaína, entregaron evidencia a un proceso penal y no hubo un solo muerto.  No fue la única. Una investigación del CLIP siguió las interdicciones regulares de lucha antinarcóticos en el Caribe y en el Pacífico que realizaron entidades estadounidenses en cooperación con países europeos y latinoamericanos, entre septiembre de 2025 y febrero de 2026, basándose en informaciones de las fuerzas del orden y de prensa en varios idiomas y países, y consultó con los registros públicos disponibles en la API v3 de Global Fishing Watch y Vesseltracker. Encontró que gracias a esta cooperación internacional, pudieron decomisar, sin disparar un solo tiro mortal, al menos 140 toneladas de cocaína y detener a 160 tripulantes que luego fueron entregados a la justicia. Este rastreo estableció que, coincidiendo con la operación de bombardeos a lanchas, el remolcador Little Girls con bandera de Tasmania, el pesquero griego Ourania A y, el viejo buque de propiedad turca United S, pasaron por el Atlántico cargados de drogas. Ninguno fue volado con misiles. Esperaron a que llegaran a un lugar seguro para inmovilizarlos, incautar la droga que llevaban y detener a sus tripulantes. Es más, la operación contra el Ourania A llevó al arresto de un conocido narco griego.  Las operaciones antinarcóticos regulares y los ataques letales se ejecutaron en las mismas aguas, en las mismas semanas, con coordinación de inteligencia que en varios casos pasaba por los mismos nodos institucionales: el MAOC-N de Lisboa, la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Interagencial Sur (JITF-S) de Key West y la DEA. (Ver historia Para los grandes cargamentos, justicia; para los pequeños, bombas). ¿Quién toma las decisiones? ¿Quién ordenó a cuál embarcación volar y a cuál dejar pasar para luego detenerlo civilizadamente? Eso le preguntamos al Comando Sur.  No respondió la pregunta, sino que envió el siguiente comentario: “La Operación Southern Spear se lleva a cabo bajo las órdenes de nuestro Comandante en Jefe para defender el territorio nacional de los Estados Unidos, proteger a los socios regionales y mantener la ley y el orden, impidiendo que los narcoterroristas, los cárteles y su red de cómplices se afiancen en el Hemisferio Occidental mediante una presencia abrumadora. El objetivo de la operación es detectar, desarticular y desmantelar las redes de los cárteles y otras organizaciones transnacionales que el presidente de los Estados Unidos, mediante una orden ejecutiva, ha designado como organizaciones terroristas”. Expertos jurídicos ya han planteado sus inquietudes sobre el significado del término “narco-terrorista”, pero Brian Finucane, asesor principal del Programa de Estados Unidos del International Crisis Group y exabogado de la Oficina del Asesor Jurídico del Departamento de Estado de EE. UU., declaró a esta alianza que los comentarios del ejército estadounidense en respuesta a este reportaje llevan esas inquietudes un paso más allá. “El derecho de la guerra permite la violencia que de otro modo estaría prohibida, pero solo durante un conflicto armado genuino —un umbral que la administración Trump no ha logrado alcanzar, ya que ni siquiera ha identificado contra quién se supone que Estados Unidos está luchando”, dijo. “Más allá de ese problema fundamental, la sugerencia de la administración de que los ‘facilitadores’, vagamente definidos, pueden ser blanco de ataques, suscita aún más inquietudes de que esté violando las reglas de su propio paradigma legal falso”. Mientras la cooperación internacional para la lucha anti-narcóticos se desarrollaba con normalidad y sin dejar muertos en estos seis meses de septiembre a febrero, los múltiples ataques que realizó el gobierno estadounidense dejaron 140 muertos, sin una cantidad de cocaína públicamente incautada y pulverizando las pruebas judiciales que podrían llevar a encontrar a los grandes narcos dueños de las rutas.  De hecho, la Fiscalía de Colombia solo abrió una indagación preliminar en contra del sobreviviente Jonathan Obando Pérez,  según El País América, “pero no prevé convertirla en una investigación formal, pues no tiene elementos para señalar que Obando Pérez haya cometido algún delito en Colombia”. Por eso luego de salir del hospital, quedó en libertad. Una fuente citada por AP de la Fiscalía ecuatoriana también aseguró que “no encontró pruebas suficientes para emprender acciones legales” en contra de Andrés Fernando Tufiño, sobreviviente de un ataque en el Caribe el 16 de octubre.  Por las posibles violaciones a los derechos humanos y al derecho del mar, las autoridades de Reino Unido y Canadá dijeron que no compartirían inteligencia con sus pares de Estados Unidos, según reportó Time. Las fuentes británicas le dijeron en noviembre pasado a esas revista que “los oficiales británicos creen que los golpes militares de Estados Unidos que han matado 76 personas violan la ley internacional” y por ello, suspendieron la cooperación para este tipo de ataques desde octubre. Y fuentes canadienses dijeron que su gobierno “no quiere que su inteligencia ayude a localizar como objetivos a barcos para dar golpes mortales”.  En enero pasado, el ministro de Defensa holandés dijo en Aruba que continuarán las labores de interdicción en la aguas territoriales de su país pero no usarán su barco-estación naval para operaciones relacionadas con la operación Southern Spear (la de los bombardeos) de los Estados Unidos.  “Ningún país europeo, incluida Francia, enviará inteligencia operacional a los americanos en la situación actual si esta se puede usar como base para un ataque militar a un barco”, dijo Dimitro Zoulas, jefe del servicio antidrogas de la policía francesa a Radio Caraibes (RCI). Y Euractiv confirmó con una fuente francesa de seguridad que “es 100 por ciento claro que los europeos no les están dando ninguna inteligencia a Estados Unidos que puede llevar a un golpe (contra los barcos)”.  El gobierno de Colombia había anunciado algo similar, pero un alto funcionario diplomático que habló con CLIP y pidió no revelar su nombre por la sensibilidad del tema, dijo que hoy éste sigue compartiendo normalmente su inteligencia con su par de Estados Unidos, pero no precisó para cuáles operaciones.   A estas críticas, en la respuesta enviada a esta alianza periodística, el Comando Sur respondió: “las fuerzas estadounidenses operan bajo reglas de combate que son consistentes con el derecho marítimo internacional contra actividades que representan una amenaza directa para la seguridad de EE. UU. y la vida de los ciudadanos estadounidenses. Como organización militar a la que se le ha confiado la defensa de nuestra patria, estamos plenamente comprometidos con misiones que apoyan directamente la salud y la seguridad del pueblo estadounidense”. En abril pasado, una coalición de 125 organizaciones civiles de todo el mundo (incluida Airwars, que apoyó con información experta a esta alianza periodística, Human Rights Watch y Amnistía Internacional, entre otras), hizo una petición pública urgente para que los países “inmediatamente dejen o se abstengan de apoyar las ejecuciones extrajudiciales de Estados Unidos en el mar Caribe y el océano Pacífico”. “Debemos recordar que todos estos individuos tienen nombres, familias y vidas que nunca serán iguales”, dijo Jamil Dakwar, director del Programa de Derechos Humanos de ACLU en una audiencia ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de la OEA (CIDH), el pasado 13 de abril.  Esa organización, además de representar a las dos víctimas trinitenses ante una corte federal estadounidense, pidió a la CIDH declarar que los golpes de misil a las embarcaciones violan el derecho internacional y propuso la creación de un grupo especial que investigue las implicaciones que estos han tenido en el hemisferio.  ¿Por qué lo hacen, entonces? Es difícil entender por qué el gobierno Trump se empeña en continuar los bombardeos, a pesar de que no frenan el flujo de drogas.  Incluso, el almirante Nathan Moore, comandante del Guardacostas de Área Atlántica de Estados Unidos, defensor de usar todos los métodos, incluidos los bombardeos, reconoció que no han visto ninguna diferencia notable en el flujo de cocaína. Moore dijo,  después de 21 bombardeos en noviembre de 2025, que no han cambiado ni las rutas de los traficantes, ni el ritmo, ni la pureza de la droga.   Es probable que hayan conseguido que los traficantes dejen de usar algunas rutas, sobre todo aquellas por donde se mueven las lanchas go-fast –de acuerdo con un análisis de InSight Crime, un medio especializado en el crimen organizado—pero la operación no “evitó que los traficantes movieran la cocaína por otros medios”, como apelar más a la ruta por la Amazonía.  Tampoco es difícil para los grandes narcos reemplazar a los muertos por otros hombres empujados a sus redes por la desesperación, la pobreza y el desempleo, pues éstos abundan en las costas latinoamericanas. Atacar al eslabón más débil del multimillonario negocio del narcotráfico no es nuevo. Lo vienen haciendo nuestros países sin resolver el problema desde hace más de 50 años. Esta nueva estrategia de explotar lanchas y matar sospechosos desconocidos lleva esta política al extremo. Los misiles han causado un tremendo dolor y hunden en peores carencias a familias y pueblos pobres que no se pueden defender del majestuoso poder militar estadounidense, ni de su omnipresente retórica.  Además, como se contó aquí, aliena la cooperación internacional y deja más solitario a Estados Unidos frente al crimen.  ¿Por qué entonces persistir en un camino tan riesgoso y estéril por más de ocho meses? “En el gobierno Trump creen en el espectáculo de fuerza por razones que tienen muy poco que ver con interdicción efectiva”, dice Walsh de WOLA. “Quieren impresionar a los ciudadanos, haciéndoles creer que ellos sí que le están poniendo fin al problema terrible del narcotráfico, lo que otros gobiernos no lograron. La profunda crueldad y despreocupación con que ordenan estos asesinatos sistemáticos e intencionales les permite proyectar la naturaleza amenazante de ‘narcoterroristas’ sin nombre. De esta manera asombran a muchos estadounidenses, mientras anestesian la noción de que los funcionarios de Estados Unidos responsables de estos asesinatos deben rendir cuentas ”. La figura del presidente Trump y sus más altos funcionarios de Guerra y Estado, acompañando sus bombardeos con videos explosivos y  triunfales comentarios en redes sociales, orquestan un espectáculo de poder desproporcionado frente a hombres humildes, en su mayoría pobres, y en todo caso, sólo sospechosos de estar transportando drogas.  Como dijo una venezolana esposa de un hombre caído en un bombardeo, “Donald Trump no se puso a pensar; está matando a un padre de familia y no sabe por qué este hombre se montó en ese bote”. ¿Tienes más información sobre esta historia? Escríbenos a investigaciones@elclip.org