The Defense Department confirmed that two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters, calling the move ‘highly provocative.’ This comes as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts against narco-terrorism. The Pentagon is deploying 10 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico for counter-narcotics operations, signaling a strategic shift toward a more aggressive stance.
The incident follows an unprecedented U.S. Marine strike on a cartel-operated vessel, which resulted in the deaths of 11 members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Prior to this strike, U.S. anti-cartel efforts focused mainly on seizing and apprehending operations. However, the strike suggests a new, more formidable strategy against drug traffickers and international gangs.
During a visit to Ecuador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reclassified two gangs as foreign terrorist organizations and criticized the Venezuelan leadership’s involvement in the drug trade. He condemned Nicolás Maduro as an ‘indicted drug trafficker’ and a ‘fugitive of American justice.’ Rubio emphasized that cooperative governments would aid the U.S. in identifying and eliminating drug traffickers, stating that ‘blow them up if that’s what it takes.’ These actions reinforce the administration’s stance on combating narcotics and international gangs with a more aggressive approach.