'We will stop you cold': Trump announces successful strike against 'narcoterrorist' vessel



The United States has been cracking down on drug trafficking and other illegal activities in the Western Hemisphere, specifically targeting Venezuela in recent months. Trump has consistently announced airstrikes against "narcoterrorist" boats, and Tuesday saw the most recent tactical strike.

Trump announced on Tuesday on Truth Social that the Department of War carried out an airstrike against a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing those aboard.

'The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold.'

"Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela," he said in the post.

Trump explained the reason for the strike and its aftermath: "Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route. The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed."

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Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump's post about the airstrike comes days after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a "new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force" in USSOUTHCOM's area of responsibility. The mission of the task force, according to Hegseth, is "to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe."

USSOUTHCOM, or U.S. Southern Command, is one of 11 combatant commands under the Department of War. USSOUTHCOM's area of responsibility includes the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico, the waters adjacent to Central and South America, and the Caribbean Sea. It is also responsible for securing the Panama Canal, according to its website.

"The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold," Hegseth added.

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A war on Venezuela would be a war on reality



The drums of war are echoing across the Caribbean. U.S. warships patrol the southern sea lanes, and squadrons of F-35s wait on standby in Puerto Rico. Strike lists are reportedly being drafted in Washington. The question is not whether the United States can act but whether it should. And more importantly: Who is the real enemy?

All signs point to Venezuela, long a fixation of neoconservatives who see regime change as a cure-all. For years, some in the Republican Party have argued that Venezuela sits at the center of Latin America’s drug trade and that military action is overdue.

A legitimate campaign to combat drug cartels must not morph into another regime-change crusade.

That narrative is convenient — but false. Venezuela is not a cartel state, and this is not a war on drugs.

A tale of two narco-states

In September, the Trump administration made two moves that reshaped the regional map. It added Venezuela to its annual list of major drug-transit and production countries and, for the first time since 1996, decertified Colombia as a U.S. partner in the war on drugs.

That decision was deliberate. It acknowledged what U.S. policymakers have long avoided saying: Colombia, not Venezuela, is the true narco-state.

Colombia remains the world’s leading producer of cocaine. From Pablo Escobar’s Medellín empire to the FARC’s narco-financing, traffickers and insurgents have repeatedly seized control of state institutions and vast territories. At their height, these groups ruled nearly half the country. Decades of U.S. intervention under “Plan Colombia” have failed to stem coca cultivation, which remains near record highs.

Venezuela, by contrast, has never been a major coca producer. Its role is mostly as a minor transit corridor for Colombian cocaine en route to global markets. Corruption is real — particularly within elements of the military, where networks of officers known as the “Cartel of the Suns” have profited from trafficking. But those are rogue actors, not the state itself.

Unlike Colombia, Venezuela has never seen cartels seize entire provinces or build autonomous zones. The country’s economic collapse has weakened state control, but it hasn’t transformed Venezuela into another Sinaloa or Medellín.

Regime-change fever returns

Despite this, Washington appears to be edging toward confrontation. Naval buildups and targeted strikes on Venezuelan vessels look increasingly like the opening moves of a regime-change operation.

The danger is familiar. Once again, the United States risks being drawn into a war that cannot be won — one that drains resources, destabilizes the region, and achieves nothing for the American people. The echoes of Iraq and Afghanistan are unmistakable. Those conflicts cost thousands of American lives and trillions of dollars, only to end in retreat and disillusionment.

Americans have every reason to demand a serious, coordinated strategy against the cartels that flood our communities with cocaine and fentanyl. But targeting Venezuela misreads the map. Only a fraction of the hemisphere’s narcotics pass through Venezuelan territory — and the country produces no fentanyl at all.

If Washington wants to dismantle the cartels, it must focus on the coca fields of Colombia and the trafficking corridors of Mexico, not Caracas.

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Photo by Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images

No exit

A U.S. invasion of Venezuela would be a disaster. The Maduro regime has already begun arming civilians. Guerrilla groups operate in both urban and jungle terrain. The population is hostile, the geography unforgiving, and the odds of a prolonged insurgency high.

The opposition, eager for power, would have every incentive to let American soldiers do its fighting — then disavow the costs.

A war would not remain confined to Venezuelan borders. It would destabilize Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, and unleash a wave of migrants heading north. The fall of Saddam Hussein set off migration patterns that reshaped Europe for a generation. A conflict in Venezuela could do the same to the United States.

Limited airstrikes would achieve little beyond satisfying the egos of Washington’s most hawkish voices. A full-scale invasion would create a power vacuum ripe for chaos.

The real test

President Trump faces a critical test of restraint. Interventionists inside his own administration will press for action. He must resist them. A legitimate campaign to combat drug cartels must not morph into another regime-change crusade.

America has paid dearly for those mistakes before. It should not make them again.

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'The secretary's unilateral determination'

Republican senator takes aim at JD Vance: 'What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment'



Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky once again bucked his party, this time taking aim at Vice President JD Vance.

The Trump administration claimed to have successfully struck a Venezuelan drug boat on Tuesday, killing 11 traffickers identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Vance and other high-profile Republicans championed the strike, calling it the "highest and best use of our military."

'Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird?'

Vance experienced pushback from the usual suspects like Brian Krassenstein, who called the strike a "war crime." Vance promptly responded by saying, "I don't give a s**t what you call it."

While the left raged on about Vance's comments, Paul joined the chorus.

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Photo by Alex Wroblewski-Pool/Getty Images

Paul criticized the military action for not providing the Venezuelan alleged drug traffickers due process before being killed.

"JD 'I don’t give a s**t' Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the 'highest and best use of the military,'" Paul said in a post on X. "Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation??

"What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial."

Paul's criticism was met with backlash from some of his Republican colleagues who accused Paul of "defending foreign terrorist drug traffickers."

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Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"What's really despicable is defending foreign terrorist drug traffickers who are *directly* responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans in Kentucky and Ohio," Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio said in a post on X. "JD understands that our first responsibility is to protect the life and liberty of American citizens."

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NY Times Dubs Deadly Drugs A ‘Consumer Product’ Because The Media Don’t Take The Problem Seriously

It’s perfectly fine that people are raising questions about the legality of President Trump unilaterally ordering military strikes on suspected drug smugglers boating out of Venezuela. But the tell that Democrats and the dying media don’t genuinely care about constitutional integrity issues is in the way they talk about America’s raging, deadly drug problem as […]

Democrat county commissioner arrested in 'massive' drug bust



A Democrat commissioner in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, was one of nearly two dozen suspects arrested in connection with a "massive drug investigation" that spanned several years — and several states.

On Thursday, members of the Lehigh County Drug Task Force, with assistance from the Bethlehem Police Department and other agencies, arrested Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi at Bethlehem City Hall, where he worked as an open records officer. Cole-Borghi was charged with possession of marijuana and possession with the intent to deliver a pound of marijuana. He paid $50,000 bond and was released.

'A wide-ranging conspiracy.'

Cole-Borghi, a first-term commissioner who won the Democratic primary for District 3 unopposed earlier this year, was just one of 22 individuals arrested in connection with this case. Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan claimed the investigation into the alleged drug ring began three years ago and extended all the way to Illinois, New York, and Wisconsin.

"This is a wide-ranging, as I said, multi-jurisdictional investigation, which included people yesterday who were arrested in the City of Chicago and the State of Wisconsin," Holihan said at a press conference on Friday, according to lehighvalleylive.com. "And there are warrants for people in multiple counties in Pennsylvania, as well as the state of New York, I believe the state of New Jersey, Philadelphia — so a wide-ranging conspiracy."

Holihan also noted that law enforcement officers had seized a massive haul of evidence related to the case.

"To date, some of the items seized include well over $100,000 in cash, crypto accounts, more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, large quantities of THC, liquid cocaine, and MDMA pills. Additionally, at least 25 firearms were seized yesterday, including semi-automatic rifles and ghost guns. As part of the operation, two clandestine labs were discovered manufacturing illegal THC products. Those labs were discovered and dismantled by the PA State Police Clandestine Laboratory Team," he said.

Bethlehem Human Resources Director Michelle Cichocki confirmed on Friday that Cole-Borghi no longer works for the city.

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Althom/Getty Images

The extent of Cole-Borghi's alleged participation in drug trafficking is unclear, and during the press conference, Holihan declined questions about the commissioner's alleged involvement, citing the ongoing grand jury investigation.

However, several of Cole-Borghi's colleagues have weighed in. Bethlehem City Council member Bryan Callahan called Cole-Borghi's arrest "distressing news," while Council member Grace Crampsie Smith described it as "disheartening," according to WFMZ.

Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong confirmed that Cole-Borghi has not resigned his seat on the board of commissioners. Lehighvalleynews.com further reported that without an order from a judge, Cole-Borghi's name cannot be removed from the November ballot at this point since the deadlines to withdraw and for parties to name a replacement already passed.

Cole-Borghi's Republican opponent, Jacqueline Rivera, issued a statement following his arrest: "As community leaders, we are entrusted with a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and service. The people of Lehigh County deserve representatives they can trust — leaders who will put families, neighborhoods, and the well-being of our community first."

Cole-Borghi's name and picture remain on the county commissioners' website, though as of Tuesday morning, he has no accompanying biographical information listed there. Instead, the website claims his "profile information" will be "coming soon."

Executive Armstrong said, "The residents of Lehigh County should know that we are monitoring the situation closely, and at the first opportunity, we will speak with all relevant parties. We hope to have a more substantial statement after we have had the opportunity to gather the facts."

Cole-Borghi did not respond to a request for comment from lehighvalleylive.com.

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Minneapolis mayhem: Leftist mob hurls objects, shoves federal agents amid growing anti-ICE violence



Assaults against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have skyrocketed 413% since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, a Department of Homeland Security official told Blaze News.

The anti-ICE and "abolish the police" movement among leftist groups continues to grow exponentially as the new administration ramps up on-the-ground efforts to detain illegal immigrants, particularly from sanctuary jurisdictions.

A clash in Minnesota on Tuesday reflected this disturbing nationwide trend.

The left's anti-ICE sentiment boiled over when Minneapolis locals assumed that federal agents were there for an immigration enforcement raid, ultimately leading to violence.

The operation centered around a Mexican restaurant near Bloomington Avenue and Lake Street.

As federal authorities arrived at the location, an angry mob of protesters gathered to thwart their enforcement efforts. The tense encounter quickly devolved into mayhem that took over several blocks.

Videos shared on social media by independent journalist Nick Shirley showed masked protesters shouting expletives and hurling objects at officers and their enforcement vehicles. Groups locked arms to block the agents, while others taunted and shoved authorities.

Protesters also appeared to tag law enforcement vehicles with various messages. One vehicle read, "Don't come back," and another, "Bitch Nazi."

Amid the melee, Shirley noted that Tuesday's violent clash between officers and protesters occurred in the same Minneapolis area where mobs rioted in 2020 over George Floyd's death.

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Riot on May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a protest over the death of George Floyd. Photo by KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images

After federal authorities left and most of the crowd dispersed, a police officer at the scene told Shirley that from his observations, the operation was not just an ICE raid. He noted the presence of multiple federal agencies, including the DEA and FBI.

"I know a lot of owners here are involved in shady stuff," the officer said.

He speculated that the raid may have concerned drug trafficking or money laundering.

Mayor Jacob Frey (D) claimed the operation was not related to immigration enforcement.

"While we are still gathering details, this incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement. No arrests were made," Frey stated. "The Minneapolis Police Department's only role was helping with crowd control and keeping the community safe as a large number of residents and bystanders had gathered at the scene."

The Minneapolis Police Department also stated that the operation was "a federal criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering" and that "there were no arrests at the scene by federal law enforcement."

The police department insisted it did not participate in immigration enforcement.

RELATED: Hakeem Jeffries makes worrying threat against ICE agents as protesters interfere with operations

Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

ICE also released a statement about the operation, confirming that its agents were a part of the effort.

A comment from Jamie Holt, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul, provided to Blaze News read, "Federal investigators conducted a groundbreaking criminal operation today — Minnesota's first under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) umbrella, marking a new chapter in how we confront complex, multidimensional threats. From drug smuggling to criminal labor trafficking, this operation showcases the breadth of our collective missions and the strength of a united front."

"This HSI-led investigation wouldn't have been possible without the extraordinary collaboration of our state partners and federal HSTF partners, including the U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI, [IRS Criminal Investigation], DEA, [Enforcement and Removal Operations], ATF, [U.S. Marshals Service], [Diplomatic Security Service], U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, TSA, and local law enforcement," the statement continued. "Together, we are safeguarding communities, protecting national security, and setting a new standard of joint enforcement efforts."

ICE did not respond to any specific questions regarding the operation's purpose, whether any arrests were made, or whether any protesters would face charges for assaulting officers.

Border czar Tom Homan confirmed last week that assaults on ICE officers remain "high."

"The assaults are up, but it won't be tolerated," Homan told reporters. "You put hands on an ICE officer, you can be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law."

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Exclusive photos: ICE raids club owned by suspected terrorist — captures scores of illegal aliens, including alleged killer



Immigration and Customs Enforcement led an operation on Sunday in Charleston, South Carolina, that resulted in the arrest of a suspected terrorist and captured dozens of illegal aliens.

A Department of Homeland Security press release, obtained by Blaze News, stated that Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte led an operation alongside local law enforcement that targeted “an underground illegal nightclub” called the Alamo.

'Leave now or ICE will find you and deport you.'

The press release claimed the unlicensed establishment was operated by “a suspected member of the Los Zetas Cartel,” formally known as Cártel del Noreste, which President Donald Trump previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

Department of Homeland Security photo obtained exclusively by Blaze News

According to the press release, ICE received a tip indicating that the Alamo was a hub for widespread illegal activities, including weapons, narcotics, and human trafficking.

ICE’s operation resulted in the arrest of 72 illegal aliens and the recovery of six children, who were then transferred to social services to ensure their safety and well-being.

Department of Homeland Security photo obtained exclusively by Blaze News

The arrests are still being processed, the agency noted.

Federal immigration authorities also seized cash, narcotics, and firearms during Sunday’s raid.

ICE referred to Sergio Joel Galo-Baca, described as “a Honduran illegal alien and foreign fugitive with an active Interpol Red Notice for homicide in Honduras,” as one of its “most high-profile arrests” of the operation.

Department of Homeland Security photo obtained exclusively by Blaze News

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Day in and day out, the brave men and women of ICE are working with local law enforcement to keep American communities safe. The successful operation that took place in the Charleston area resulted in more than 70 arrests of illegal aliens — including an international murder suspect and the dismantling of a nightclub run by a suspected cartel member where drug, weapon, and human trafficking were taking place.”

“Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, fugitives and law breakers are on notice: Leave now or ICE will find you and deport you," McLaughlin added.

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Trump’s border blitz puts military muscle to work



President Donald Trump has moved faster than anyone expected to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. His latest action — deploying the U.S. military to the Roosevelt Reservation, a 60-foot-wide strip of federal land spanning the border in California, Arizona, and New Mexico — is a necessary step to defend American sovereignty.

A White House memorandum issued April 11 authorizes the military to take temporary control of the corridor, detain individuals attempting illegal entry, and support key security operations, including barrier construction and surveillance. With drug cartels, human traffickers, and other criminal threats exploiting the southern border, this deployment offers a direct, long-overdue response to a crisis the political class has allowed to fester for years.

The military brings what civilian authorities can’t: logistical power, surveillance, and manpower. We’ve seen it work before.

Established in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt to safeguard the border, the Roosevelt Reservation provides the ideal legal framework for President Trump’s latest deployment. By designating the strip as a “National Defense Area,” Trump has empowered the military to act decisively within a clearly defined legal perimeter.

This renewed focus on border security comes none too soon. Under President Biden, the situation along the reservation deteriorated. In 2022, frustrated by the White House’s inaction, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) ordered shipping containers stacked along the reservation to block illegal crossings. His successor, open-borders Democrat Katie Hobbs, wasted no time removing them.

The Trump memorandum directs the Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security to transfer jurisdiction of the Roosevelt Reservation to the Pentagon. This move allows U.S. troops to detain border trespassers until Border Patrol can process them.

This isn’t “militarizing” the homeland — it’s using federal authority to defend it. The chaos Biden unleashed now demands real action. Trump’s strategy puts American citizens, not politics, first.

The need for this action is clear. Even with reports of fewer illegal crossings, the southern border remains a pipeline for deadly drugs like fentanyl — which killed more than 70,000 Americans in 2023. Cartels continue to exploit weak enforcement, using remote corridors like the Roosevelt Reservation to move narcotics and human trafficking victims deeper into the country.

Critics rushed to label Trump’s deployment an overreach, but their objections don’t hold up. Some claim the move violates the Posse Comitatus Act, the 1878 law restricting military involvement in domestic law enforcement. One activist even called the strategy a “crazy” attempt to skirt the law by labeling illegal aliens as trespassers on military land.

That argument is nonsense. The Posse Comitatus Act allows exceptions during national emergencies, and Trump’s declaration of a border emergency provides that authority.

What’s more, the military’s role under the April 11 memorandum is narrow and lawful. It simply detains border trespassers on federal land until civilian authorities take over. This mirrors past deployments under both Republican and Democratic presidents. The Pentagon isn’t rounding up citizens or patrolling cities. It is securing a narrow federal corridor explicitly designated for border protection.

Some Democrats and activist groups claim that deploying the military escalates tensions unnecessarily, especially since illegal border crossings have declined since Trump took office. But that argument misses the point. Crossings dropped because of Trump’s tough policies — not because the threat disappeared.

Cartels are opportunistic and fast-moving. They seize on any lapse in enforcement. The Roosevelt Reservation’s rugged terrain and rumored smuggling tunnels make it a prime target. A military presence deters those operations before they escalate.

Waiting for the next crisis — like the 2022 surge that saw more than 2.5 million migrant encounters — isn’t strategy. It’s surrender.

Open-border activists argue that Border Patrol or local law enforcement should secure the border alone. But that ignores reality. Of the border’s 1,954 miles, more than 700 run through rugged, hard-to-patrol terrain. Civilian agencies are already overwhelmed.

The military brings what civilian authorities can’t: logistical power, surveillance technology, and manpower. This isn’t theoretical. We’ve seen it work before. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, Operation Faithful Patriot provided vital support for wall construction in high-traffic zones — reducing illegal crossings where they were most severe.

Extending this strategy to the Roosevelt Reservation isn’t radical. It’s obvious.

Trump’s order rests on a simple truth: A nation without borders is not a nation at all. The new memorandum isn’t just defensible. It’s essential. Anyone who doesn’t see the military’s role in this crisis is clinging to the same mindset that let things spiral out of control in the first place.