U.S. forces attacked a drug boat in Caribbean waters overnight, leaving six dead, the head of the Pentagon announced Friday, who said the vessel was operating for the Tren de Aragua cartel.
“ Our intelligence services knew that the vessel was involved in narcotics smuggling,” Pete Hegseth said in a message on X , referring to the attack that took place in “ international waters.”
"If you're a narco-terrorist smuggling narcotics into our hemisphere, we'll treat you like we treat al-Qaeda," the Pentagon chief added, adding,"We'll map your networks, we'll track your people, we'll hunt you down, and we'll eliminate you."
The new operation was carried out hours before US troops arrive in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend to carry out several days of military exercises as part of Washington's naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea, the Trinidadian Foreign Ministry announced.
The small Caribbean country is located very close to Venezuela, and the distance from the island of Trinidad to the Venezuelan coast is just 11 kilometers at its closest point.
The first troops will arrive next Sunday in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, on the destroyer USS Gravely, which will be followed later by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, the ministry detailed in a statement.
The USS Gravely “ will conduct joint training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force ” and will depart on the 30th, he added.
"These efforts strengthen interoperability, strengthen long-term defense cooperation, and improve operational readiness among allied forces," he added.
Meanwhile, the United States Marine Corps will conduct military exercises with Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela, whose regime denounces that Washington is seeking to overthrow dictator Nicolás Maduro with its military deployment in the Caribbean.
"The presence of U.S. military forces in Trinidad and Tobago underscores the United States' commitment to regional security and cooperation in the Caribbean," the statement added.
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has expressed support for the deployment of military troops in its waters.
