Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. military conducted a “lethal” strike against a drug vessel in the southern Caribbean. “As @potus just announced moments ago, today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Carribean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,” Rubio said. As @potus just announced moments ago, today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Carribean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization. — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) September 2, 2025 More from CBS News: Details on the strike, including who operated the vessel, remain sparse. The strike came after the U.S. confirmed last month that the Navy would boost its presence near Venezuela, deploying three warships to the waters off the South American country as part of an anti-drug cartel mission. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called the ships an “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.” The Trump administration has accused Maduro’s government — a longtime U.S. foe — of working with drug cartels to traffic narcotics to the United States. President Trump said the U.S. military “shot out” a drug-carrying boat from Venezuela. Check it out: BREAKING: President Trump just announced the U.S. military “SH0T OUT” a drug carrying boat from Venezuela on its way to America THIS is what the U.S. military SHOULD be used for! Defending the homeland. NOT regime change in foreign nations! pic.twitter.com/FJc0raxFjd — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 2, 2025 The Associated Press provided further info: The U.S. has not signaled any planned land incursion by the thousands of personnel being deployed. Still, President Nicolás Maduro’s government has responded by deploying troops along Venezuela’s coast and border with neighboring Colombia, as well as by urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia. Maduro has insisted that the U.S. is building a false drug-trafficking narrative to try to force him out of office. He and other government officials have repeatedly cited a United Nations report that they say shows traffickers attempt to move only 5% of the cocaine produced in Colombia through Venezuela. Landlocked Bolivia and Colombia, with access to the Pacific and Caribbean, are the world’s top cocaine producers. The press office of Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s announcement.