BREAKING: Trump announces the US military has just conducted a lethal strike against a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel in the Caribbean

“We just over the last few minutes, literally, shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “These came out of Venezuela — and coming out very heavily from Venezuela. A lot of things are coming out of Venezuela. So we took it out, and you’ll get to see that after this meeting is over.”

Trump added in a Truth post: "Earlier this morning, on my Orders, 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 Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere. 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! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the action in a post on social media. “As [President Trump] announced moments ago, today the US military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,” Rubio wrote.

The strike comes as part of the administration’s deployment of naval assets to the region aimed at disrupting narcotics trafficking networks tied to Venezuela.

President Trump reportedly ordered the Pentagon to begin using military force against cartels that have been deemed terrorist organizations under his administration last week.

Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, told the New York Times when asked about Trump authorizing military force against cartels, said "President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations."

Sources told the outlet that US military leaders were drafting potential plans to target cartel groups that have been formally designated as terrorist organizations. The guidance is reportedly “focused on US forces directly capturing or killing people involved in the drug trade.”

The developments come as both National Guard and active-duty military personnel have been deployed to the southern border under the Trump administration to curb the movement of narcotics and illegal immigrants. In recent months, the administration has branded groups including Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns — also known as Cartel de los Soles — as foreign terrorist organizations.

On Thursday, the White House announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. “Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns that bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “Today, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro, and his associates, with nearly 7 tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that the new designation strengthens US capabilities. “Labeling cartels as terrorist groups allows the US to use other elements of American power, intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, whatever, to target these groups if we have an opportunity to do it,” he said Thursday. “We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organizations, not simply drug dealing organizations.” This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates.