Washington. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States carried out an attack in the southern Caribbean against a drug ship that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

Trump confirmed that 11 people died in the operation.

“The attack occurred while the terrorists were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics bound for the United States,” the tycoon stated on social media. “No members of the U.S. forces were injured in this attack. Please let this serve as a warning to anyone considering importing drugs into the United States.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously stated on X that the vessel was being operated by a"designated narcoterrorist organization." He described the operation as a lethal attack.

The United States recently announced plans to increase its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels.

The United States did not announce any planned ground incursions by the thousands of troops deployed. However, President Nicolás Maduro's government responded by deploying troops along the Venezuelan coast and the border with neighboring Colombia, and urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia.

Maduro has insisted that Washington is constructing a false narrative about drug trafficking to try to force his removal from office. He and other government officials repeatedly cited a United Nations report that they claim shows drug traffickers attempt to transport only 5 percent of the cocaine produced in Colombia through Venezuela.