Eleven people have died in an attack by US ships against a vessel that had set sail from Venezuela and that the US government accuses of transporting a drug shipment, US President Donald Trump revealed on his social media. This is the most serious incident so far in the heightened tensions between the two countries since the Republican returned to the White House, who accuses President Nicolás Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking to the North American country.

Trump had warned that the operation had taken place shortly before, while participating in an event in the Oval Office. He did not provide details, but he did say that more information would be available immediately afterward. His Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed the operation in a message on social media.

"This morning, at my direction, the United States military conducted a kinetic attack against individuals positively identified as Tren de Aragua narco-terrorists within the Southern Command area of responsibility," the US president wrote on his social media platform, Truth.

According to Trump, “Tren de Aragua is a foreign terrorist organization, operating under the control of (Venezuelan President) Nicolás Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug and human trafficking, and acts of violence and terrorism in the United States and the Western Hemisphere.”

The attack occurred, the president points out, in international waters, when the ship was transporting “illegal narcotics and was headed to the United States.”

“The attack resulted in eleven terrorists killed in the operation. No American soldiers were injured in this attack,” Trump reports, concluding, “Let this serve as a warning to anyone even remotely considering the possibility of smuggling drugs into the United States. Beware!”

In the Oval Office, Trump had indicated that he had just participated in a briefing with the Chief of Staff, General Dan Caine."We just opened fire on a ship, a ship carrying drugs, a bunch of drugs on that ship," the president told reporters.

“We have a lot of drugs coming into our country, and we've been doing this for a long time. And they came from Venezuela. There's a lot of stuff coming to us from Venezuela,” Trump said, without providing further details, only indicating that more details about the operation would be released “soon,” “once this meeting is over.” Trump was speaking from the Oval Office, where he was participating in an event to announce the relocation of the Cyberspace Command from Colorado to Alabama.

The president's remarks came as the United States maintains a flotilla in international waters, bordering Venezuela's territorial waters, including three Aegis guided-missile destroyers, submarines and aircraft, in what it describes as an operation to combat drug trafficking.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the operation in a social media post. “The U.S. military conducted a lethal strike today in the Southern Caribbean against a drug trafficking vessel that had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,” the top U.S. diplomat wrote.

The three destroyers off Venezuelan waters are the USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham, and the USS Sampson. The Pentagon says their presence is part of the Trump administration's plans to combat drug cartel threats in Latin America. It also says the ships will remain in the waters for several months. The deployment includes P-8 spy planes, battleships, and attack submarines, including the amphibious ships USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale.

Trump blames cartels in Latin America for the flow of fentanyl and other drugs that he claims are destroying American communities and fueling increased violence in some cities. He also attributes Maduro's leadership of the Cartel of the Suns, a criminal network that links high-ranking Venezuelan officials with Colombian guerrilla groups and Mexican drug trafficking gangs. On August 7, the White House announced a $50 million (about €43 million) reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest.

In early August, the Republican secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon authorizing the use of military force against Latin American drug cartels that the administration has declared terrorist organizations, The New York Times revealed.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt recently stated that the United States is prepared to use"every element of its power" to stem the flow of drugs across its borders and "bring those responsible to justice."

In response to the U.S. deployment, Venezuela has deployed troops to the border and called for militia members and volunteers to repel a hypothetical foreign military operation. The country's president, Nicolás Maduro, declared at a press conference with international media on Monday:"If Venezuela is attacked, we would declare armed struggle and a Republic in arms."

“Venezuela is facing the greatest threat our continent has seen in 100 years,” the head of state said. “There are eight warships, with 1,200 missiles, and a nuclear submarine aimed at Venezuela. It is an extravagant, immoral, and bloody threat. They have sought to advance to maximum military pressure, and we have declared maximum preparedness in Venezuela.”

Maduro denied any criminal ties."If you're looking for a mobster, look elsewhere," he said Monday."If Venezuela is attacked, we will declare armed struggle," he warned at his press conference on Monday.