President Donald Trump confirmed that US forces killed 11 people in a strike against a vessel from Venezuela in international waters of the southern Caribbean, the first known military operation since Washington deployed warships to the region.

The president said he personally authorised the September 2 attack, describing those killed as members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the State Department in February. Trump alleged the group operates under the control of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusations that Caracas denies.

"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 at the White House, later sharing drone footage on his Truth Social platform showing a speedboat exploding at sea.

The incident is yet another sign of growing tensions between Washington and Caracas following the Republican leader's return to office, and marks an unusual departure from standard counter-narcotics procedures in international waters.

While Trump claimed the vessel was transporting narcotics bound for the US, the Pentagon has not disclosed specifics about the drugs allegedly on board, their quantity, or operational details of the strike. Despite the US not being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the decision to destroy a suspected drug vessel rather than seize it and apprehend its crew has raised questions among security experts.

“Force can be used to stop a boat, but generally this should be non-lethal measures,” Prof. Luke Moffett of Queens University Belfast told the BBC, adding that "the use of aggressive tactics must be reasonable and necessary in self-defence”.

Trump provided no legal grounds to justify the use of lethal force in international waters against suspected drug traffickers.

A US naval flotilla of more than 4,500 sailors and Marines is currently operating near Venezuela, including seven warships such as the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, along with a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. The deployment, which exceeds typical operations in the region, includes vessels capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and deploying aerial assets.

According to Reuters, US officials said P-8 spy planes have also been conducting surveillance flights over international waters in the area.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is touring Latin America, said the strike reinforced the administration's counter-narcotics mission. "The president is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States," he said, suggesting the drugs were likely destined for Trinidad or another Caribbean nation.

The White House last month doubled to $50mn its reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest on drug trafficking allegations, while Trump recently authorised expanded military powers against Latin American groups designated as terrorist organisations.

Caracas has responded to the US naval presence by deploying troops and mobilising civilian militias to prepare for a potential American incursion. Maduro rejected Trump's allegations of criminal links and warned that any attack on Venezuelan territory would trigger armed resistance.

The Venezuelan president described the recent US naval build-up off his country's coast as the most serious threat the region has faced in a century, fearing Trump may use military force to dislodge him from power.