The U.S. Navy warship USS Sampson docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on Sept. 2, 2025. Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images
A U.S. strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat from Venezuela has brought a deadly new intensity to the growing pressure campaign around the South American country and its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Highlighting the strike in a Sept. 2 post on his Truth Social platform, President Donald Trump said those aboard the vessel were members of Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization recently designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. Moreover, Trump added the Venezuela-based group to a growing list of cartels and criminal organizations his administration says are operating with support and direction from Maduro.
