Hegseth vows more U.S. strikes on narco-terrorists following TdA boat attack in the Caribbean
U.S. Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth listens as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House on March 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 10:58 AM – Wednesday, September 3, 2025
In a stark warning to “narco-terrorists,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed that the United States will continue to target major drug traffickers, as seen in the recent strike on a Venezuelan drug boat holding Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in the Caribbean.
Hegseth made a Wednesday appearance on Fox News, where he warned that the United States will maintain positioning in the Caribbean to quickly strike any individuals “[drug] trafficking in those waters, who we know is a designated narco terrorist.”
“You want to try to traffic drugs, it’s a new day,” Hegseth stated. “It’s a different day, and so those 11 drug traffickers are no longer with us, sending a very clear signal that this is an activity the United States is not going to tolerate in our hemisphere.”
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The Tuesday airstrike reportedly killed 11 TdA members, according to President Donald Trump and other military officials.
“U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of [Venezuelan President] Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” Trump wrote in a Tuesday Truth Social post.
“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE,” the president added.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez claimed that the viral video of the attack was “AI-generated,” dismissing it entirely.
“I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I watched it live,” Hegseth responded. “We knew exactly who was in that boat. We know exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented.”
NEW: Secretary Hegseth says the strike on Tren De Aragua drug traffickers sends a clear message — this is NOT Biden’s America, President Trump is on OFFENSE.
Hegseth reminded everyone that under Biden, over 100,000 Americans were dying every year from illegal drugs.
The strike follows President Trump’s directive last month, ordering the military to target drug cartels in Latin America to stop the flow of illicit hard drugs from entering the United States.
“This is a deadly, serious mission for us, and it won’t stop with just this strike,” the defense secretary added. “Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco-terrorist will face the same fate.”
Additionally, Maduro responded to the U.S. strike, describing it as an “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat,” while deploying warships to Venezuela’s coastline.
President Trump has continuously highlighted how Maduro has conspired with drug trafficking cartels to facilitate the entry of illicit substances into the United States, raising the hostilities between the two nations.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also announced in August that the United States was offering a $50 million reward for the arrest of Maduro — accusing him of being one of the world’s most prolific narco-traffickers.
Hegseth was asked about the possibility of the United States engaging in regime change efforts in Venezuela, to which he responded, stating that the decision is a “presidential” one — without providing further details.
“What we have, there in the Caribbean, is clear demonstration of military might,” Hegseth stated. “President Trump has shown whether it is the southwest border, Houthis, [Operation] Midnight Hammer in Iran, precise power could impact and reshape dynamics around the world and in the region. Nicolas Maduro, as he considers whether to be a narco-trafficker, has decisions to make.”
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