First US strike kills 11 on alleged drug boat off Venezuela

President Trump announced on Sept. 2, 2025 that a U.S. military strike killed 11 people on a boat he said belonged to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The administration released video of the vessel exploding but no public evidence identifying the dead or the cargo. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello later said the country's investigation found none of the 11 belonged to the gang. The strike opened a campaign that grew to 20 strikes by mid-November.