Trump administration says more operations against cartels coming [View all]

Source: Reuters

September 4, 2025 5:07 AM EDT Updated 7 hours ago


WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Senior U.S. national security officials said on Wednesday that military operations against cartels would continue, setting the stage for a sustained military campaign in Latin America even as basic questions about a deadly strike against a vessel from Venezuela remained unanswered.

The U.S. military killed 11 people on Tuesday in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics, in the first known operation since President Donald Trump's recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean. Little is known about the strike, including what legal justification was used or what drugs were on board, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said operations would continue.

"We've got assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships, because this is a deadly serious mission for us, and it won't stop with just this strike," Hegseth said on FOX & Friends. "Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco terrorist will face the same fate," Hegseth said.

He declined to provide details on how the operation was carried out, saying they were classified. It is unknown whether the vessel was destroyed using a drone, torpedo, or by some other means.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-says-more-operations-against-cartels-coming-2025-09-03/