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By Amir Daftari
News Reporter
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Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's interior minister, condemned a recent U.S. military strike in the Caribbean as "a murder," directly challenging President Donald Trump's claim that those killed were "narcoterrorists."
The New York Times reported that the vessel was turning back before it was struck, raising further questions about the legality of the attack.
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and Venezuela's foreign ministry for comment.
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Why It Matters
Over the past month, Trump authorized increased U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean, sending thousands of troops and positioning fighter jets and naval assets near Venezuela as part of his administration's broader anti-drug and anti-cartel operations. Caracas has responded by mobilizing troops, police, and civilian defenses along the coast, with President Nicolás Maduro framing the U.S. presence as a threat to national sovereignty.
The recent strike highlights how quickly these deployments can escalate into lethal action, raising questions about international law, presidential authority, and the risk of further destabilization in Latin America.
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What To Know
Speaking on state television late Thursday, Cabello condemned the U.S. military strike as "a murder committed against a group of citizens using lethal force." He stressed that local investigations found none of the 11 killed were members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang or drug traffickers.
Cabello accused the U.S. of acting without evidence or due process, questioning how the victims could have been identified on the open sea at night, "Did they have, I don't know, a chip? Did they have a QR code and [the U.S. military] read it from above in the dark?"
He also noted that families of the deceased had come forward, affirming their relatives were innocent, and framed the strike as an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty.
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Details Raise Questions
Cabello's statements gained added weight after the Times reported that the boat was attempting to turn back after spotting U.S. aircraft, suggesting the vessel was retreating rather than advancing toward U.S. territory.
U.S. Officials Defend Strike
However, U.S. officials have doubled down on the strike. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell called the Maduro government an "illegitimate narco-terrorist regime" and framed the action as a warning to traffickers, while a White House spokesperson insisted Trump acted "in line with the laws of armed conflict."
Lawmakers, however, have raised doubts, with 25 Democratic senators saying no "legitimate legal justification" was provided. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island warned there was no proof of drug trafficking or imminent threat, and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky questioned bypassing due process for a small boat traveling such a long distance.
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U.S. Military Buildup
Analysts say recent U.S. deployments in the Caribbean serve as a show of force and a test of options.
"The U.S. has amassed a large naval armada in the Caribbean and moved fighter jets to Puerto Rico. Maduro has been using the deployment for domestic propaganda. However, as of now, their deployment includes only 2,500 marines onboard. That is not a large enough force for a major ground invasion, let alone to depose Maduro," Alex Plitsas of the Atlantic Council told Newsweek.
He added that the positioning suggests possible airstrikes or missile launches, but "the policy remains unclear in terms of which groups, in which countries, and to what extent."
What People Are Saying
Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello: "They openly confessed to killing 11 people...None were from Tren de Aragua, none were drug traffickers."
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell: "This strike sent a clear message: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, the United States military will use every tool at our disposal to stop you cold."
Alex Plitsas of the Atlantic Council told Newsweek: "The [U.S.] policy remains unclear in terms of which groups, in which countries, and to what extent. We are left with more questions and answers at the moment."
What Happens Next?
The White House has stood by its decision while increasing military deployments in the Caribbean. Venezuela, meanwhile, has mobilized troops and civilian defenses, warning it is prepared for armed conflict—an escalation that threatens to push the already fraught U.S.-Venezuelan relationship into a deeper crisis.
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