A CNN report alleges President Trump is considering conducting military strikes against drug cartels operating in Venezuela, including potentially hitting targets inside the country. No final decision has been made, reports stated. The report follows the Trump administration announcing a military strike against a Venezuelan drug boat in the Southern Caribbean. UPDATE: President Trump Releases Video of Military Strike on Venezuelan Drug Boat "U.S. Military Forces conducted a strike against Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the U.S. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action," The White House announced. ?? ON VIDEO: U.S. Military Forces conducted a strike against Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the U.S. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. pic.twitter.com/iszHE0ttxQ — The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 2, 2025 CNN has more: Tuesday’s deadly strike on an alleged drug boat departing Venezuela was a direct reflection of those options, sources said, and marked a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against drug cartels, many of which it’s designated as terrorist groups. Multiple sources told CNN Tuesday’s strike was just the beginning of a much larger effort to rid the region of narcotics trafficking and potentially dislodge Maduro from power. Asked by a reporter on Friday if he would like to see regime change in Venezuela, Trump said, “We’re not talking about that.” “But we are talking about the fact that [Venezuela] had an election, which was a very strange election, to put it mildly,” Trump said, referring to last year’s presidential race in Venezuela marred by accusations of electoral fraud. The US has moved substantial military firepower into the Caribbean in recent weeks, a move meant in part to be a signal to Maduro, according to multiple White House officials. Ships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, a range of aircraft and more than 4,000 US sailors and Marines are now all positioned near Venezuela. Two White House officials told CNN 10 advanced F-35 fighter jets are also being sent to Puerto Rico, where a Marine unit is currently conducting amphibious landing training exercises. "Billions of dollars of drugs are pouring into our country from Venezuela. The prisons of Venezuela have been opened up to our country," Trump said. "Venezuela has been a very bad actor and we understand that," he added. Check it out: Trump on regime change in Venezuela: "We're not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly. [...] I can only say that billions of dollars of drugs are pouring into our country from Venezuela." pic.twitter.com/x2hB9ZugWx — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 5, 2025 “This is a counter-drug operation,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, according to CNN. “We are going to take on drug cartels wherever they are, wherever they are operating against the interests of the US," he added. The New York Post shared further info: The Pentagon and State Department declined to comment on the possibility of military action inside Venezuela. The US Navy has deployed at least eight warships to the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks as part of Trump’s effort to crackdown on narcotics trafficking conducted by Venezuelan drug cartels that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. On Trump’s orders, US forces conducted an airstrike Tuesday on a drug boat operated by “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists,” killing all 11 people on board. Two days after the strike, Venezuelan warplanes flew over a Navy ship in the region in a “highly provocative move,” the Pentagon said Thursday. “I don’t want to talk about that, but if they do put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down,” Trump said of the threatening show of force Friday.