US forces boarded the Carmen Rosa allegedly on a narcotics “tip” but found no contraband. (Archive)
Lisbon, Portugal, September 15, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Nicolás Maduro government has condemned the interception and boarding of a tuna fishing vessel by US troops on Saturday.
According to Venezuelan officials, the “Carmen Rosa” boat, a small nine-person fishing vessel, was halted in an “illegal and hostile fashion” by the US Navy destroyer Jason Dunham while navigating in Venezuelan waters.
Caracas denounced that 18 heavily armed US soldiers boarded the “small and harmless” boat and occupied it for eight hours.
“This operation lacks any strategic proportionality and is a direct provocation through the direct use of excessive military means,” an official statement read. “These provocations seek an incident to justify a military escalation in the Caribbean and regime change.”
The communique added that the Venezuelan armed forces “monitored the situation” until the tuna fishing boat was released and demanded an end to US actions that endanger peace in the Caribbean region.
“Venezuela will continue to defend its sovereignty and the security of its territory against all provocations,” the statement concluded.
For their part, US officials claimed that Coast Guard personnel aboard the USS Jason Dunham boarded the fishing vessel following a “tip” that it was carrying drugs but found no substances aboard. They likewise claimed that the search took place in international waters.
The incident adds to existing tensions in the Caribbean Sea due to a large-scale US military deployment on a purported anti-narcotics mission. The Trump administration has mobilized some 4,000 troops, a nuclear-propelled submarine, eight warships, as well as fighter jets and other aircraft. The US president has hinted at possible strikes inside Venezuelan territory.
Washington’s Caribbean military buildup followed the administration’s raising of the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million as part of a “narco-trafficking” indictment introduced in 2020. The indictment has been questioned for being politically motivated, lacking evidence and legal basis.
The White House has also accused senior Venezuelan officials of leading the so-called “Cartel de los Soles.” However, US officials have not provided any court-backed evidence to sustain the charges, while reports from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Nations have found that less than 10 percent of US-bound cocaine flows through Venezuelan territory.
The US’ moves have been criticized by Latin American leaders as a threat to peace in the region.
On September 2, US forces attacked a speedboat reportedly moving from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago, killing its 11 occupants. US officials claimed the crew belonged to Tren de Aragua, a group classified as a foreign terrorist organization, and that the ship was carrying drugs, but provided no supporting evidence.
In The New York Times and The Intercept reports, anonymous US officials revealed that the boat attempted to turn around after spotting US aircraft and that some of its occupants were killed in a follow-up attack after surviving the first strike. The Trump administration’s military escalations have sparked domestic opposition, including efforts in Congress to curtail further strikes.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused Washington of conducting “extra-judicial executions,” adding that, according to the government’s investigations, the 11 crew members had no ties to drug trafficking activities.
“What is the protocol when it comes to anti-narcotics operations?” Cabello asked during a Socialist Party meeting on Thursday. “Is it to bomb the boat or to take it over, seize the drugs and arrest the presumed traffickers? What does international law determine?”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sustains that previous US efforts at drug interdictions were a failure and has instead argued that drug-trafficking shipments represent an “imminent threat” and therefore the US is justified in conducting strikes. Legal scholars have repudiated this view.
Militia volunteers join military drills
Last week, Venezuelan authorities announced large-scale military exercises in response to US threats. The mobilization, named “Independencia 200,” involves artillery, air force and naval units. The nationwide drills build on ramped-up deployments across the country’s land and maritime borders.
On Saturday, the armed forces opened more than 300 barracks and military installations for training activities with volunteers from the Bolivarian Militia. Footage released on social media showed military officers explaining combat tactics, as well as shooting exercises with multiple weapons.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López stated that the popular mobilization was a “key component of the nation’s defense strategy.”
“I would like to congratulate the Venezuelan people for their wonderful participation in today’s exercises,” he said in a press conference. “These initiatives will continue every week as we build a formidable force to defend Venezuela.”
Padrino went on to add that any attack against Venezuela would be met by a “proportional response” in defense of the country’s sovereignty.
Edited by José Luis Granados Ceja in Mexico City, Mexico.
