Since September 1, the fascist Trump regime has carried out repeated lawless attacks on small boats in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela. Now they have expanded their murder spree to include Colombia. Twice in two days, U.S. forces launched deadly strikes against boats off the Pacific coast of Colombia. Under Trump’s orders, the U.S. has carried out serial murders of at least 43 civilians in 10 attacks. The justification? Trump claims these boats were sent by drug cartels and headed for the U.S.—but there is no evidence to back this up, and all evidence that does exist points to the contrary.

The U.S. attacks and threats against Venezuela, Colombia and the whole region took a dangerous leap on October 24 when “War Secretary” Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment to the Caribbean of the Navy’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier. (See below for a timeline of recent U.S. attacks.) 

Trump vows that his regime will continue these attacks in the waters off Venezuela and Colombia—and threatens to escalate to attacks on land. He said on October 23: “I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war [from Congress]. I think we are going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We are going to kill them, you know? They are going to be, like, dead.” 

The Trump regime’s targeting of Colombian vessels has been accompanied by political and military threats against Colombia and its president, Gustavo Petro. Coming on top of the threats to carry out regime change against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, the moves against Petro and Colombia have further heightened war dangers in the region, and raised fears over what these MAGA fascist gangsters are planning to do next. 

With these lawless attacks, Trump claims he is saving "thousands and thousands" of U.S. citizens from fentanyl overdoses. But this argument is bullshit. First, even if the charge of drug smuggling were proven in court, this would not be legally punishable by death! And if there were evidence for this crime, those suspected should be arrested and given a trial. Second, if the people in these boats were trying to bring drugs to the U.S., it's extremely unlikely they would be bringing fentanyl, which mainly comes through Mexico. Colombian and Venezuelan cartels both export cocaine to the vast U.S. market, where for a whole host of reasons (largely societal) people use drugs to both numb and stimulate themselves. And cocaine does not account for "thousands and thousands of deaths" a year, fentanyl does. 

But none of these facts matter when it comes to Trump's fascist agenda.

One of the people killed in the U.S. attacks on boats in the past weeks was a Colombian fisherman, and Petro denounced this as a murder carried out by the Trump regime. In retaliation, on October 19 Trump announced the cutting off of all aid and other payments to Colombia.¹ He threatened that military action against Colombia could follow, saying that Petro had "better close up these [drug] killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.” The Colombian government recalled its ambassador to the United States in response. On October 24, the Trump regime announced it was imposing sanctions on Petro, and his wife, son, and interior minister.

As we reported last week, at least two of those killed by the U.S. bombings in the Caribbean were fishermen from Trinidad. These attacks are happening in routes that many fishermen from the area use. 

A team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council said that even if the boats bombed by the U.S. had been carrying drugs [which, again, there is no proof of], "the use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis violates international law of the sea and amounts to extrajudicial executions." They said that “These moves are an extremely dangerous escalation with grave implications for peace and security in the Caribbean region.” 

Yet the fascist-controlled U.S. Congress has taken no action challenging the fundamental violations of international and U.S. law involved in Trump’s attacks on the boats in the waters off Venezuela and Colombia. U.S. law requires Congressional approval for the recent military actions by the Trump regime, which amount to acts of war. But the Republi-fascists in the Senate have blocked efforts by Democrats to vote on this. 

What It Means to “Make America Great Again” in Latin America

To this fascist regime, “Making America Great Again” includes reasserting U.S. imperialist domination of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and making clear the whole region is their sphere of influence—or, as they arrogantly call it, their “backyard.” For over 100 years, this domination has been achieved and enforced through invasions, coups, and backing savage dictatorships. (See the revcom.us series American Crime for many examples.) 

The Trump regime's goal is to consolidate Latin America into a political and economic fascist bloc with the U.S. at the head. They see this as a strategic necessity for the U.S. imperialists in their contention with their top global imperialist rival, China—which has become a dominant economic force in Latin America. China is now South America’s top trading partner and a major source of both foreign direct investment and energy and infrastructure lending. 

Venezuela, for example, is becoming increasingly dependent on China, which has given the country about $60 billion in military assistance. And China buys 90% of Venezuela's vast oil production. The core of Trump's regime sees forcing Venezuela's President out of power as the first step toward toppling the two other regimes they see as “leftist strongmen” (i.e., those not totally obedient to U.S. demands)—Cuba and Nicaragua. At the same time, they are moving to embrace and reward those governments that agree to come under the control of the U.S., and punish others who resist. 

For instance, Argentina's President, Javier Milei, a strong supporter of Trump, is facing a major financial crisis on the eve of crucial midterm elections. Trump has just announced a potential $40 billion economic support package in an attempt to prop up Milei. Trump also plans to dramatically increase the amount of low-priced beef allowed into the U.S. from Argentina. This will be a major blow to U.S. cattle ranchers, part of Trump’s base—but Trump seems to think this is worth the price. 

On the other hand, Trump imposed sky-high tariffs on Brazil in retaliation for prosecuting Trump's staunch fascist ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro led a failed insurrection attempt in 2023 against the elected Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, Trump's tariffs against Brazil are driving China and Brazil closer together. China is now getting over 70 percent of its soybean imports from Brazil instead of the U.S., putting 500,000 U.S. soybean growers in severe economic crisis. Last year, over 25 percent of U.S. soybean exports went to China, but that dramatically stopped after Trump targeted China with enormous tariffs.

Trump's bloody serial murders on the sea—and threats of even bigger military action against Venezuela and Colombia—are completely lawless and illegitimate. These moves pose extreme danger to the people of Venezuela, Colombia, and to all of Latin America and the whole world. Trump is now in Asia for a series of meetings, including trade negotiations with China. Whatever happens there, the moves and counter-moves by these nuclear-armed powers contending for domination all over the globe are extremely dangerous. People in the U.S.—in the imperialist “homeland”—have a special responsibility to denounce and oppose the wars of aggression by “our” rulers, as part of the mass movement urgently called for to drive out the Trump fascist regime NOW! 

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Timeline of the Trump Murder Spree in Latin America

Jan. 20 – Trump signs an executive order on his first day back in the White House that paves the way for criminal organizations and drug cartels to be named “foreign terrorist organizations.” They include Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan street gang.

April – Trump’s own National Intelligence Council disputes Trump’s claim that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s administration is working with Tren de Aragua and orchestrating drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the U.S.

Aug. 19 – U.S. deploys three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela. The U.S. naval force in the Caribbean grows to include three amphibious assault ships and two other Navy vessels, and about 6,000 sailors and Marines in total. The U.S. deploys F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico in September. A Navy submarine capable of carrying and launching cruise missiles is operating off South America. 

Sept. 2 – The U.S. carries out its first strike against what Trump claims was a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by Tren de Aragua. Trump says 11 people were killed and posts a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames.

Sept. 11 – In Venezuela, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accuses the U.S. government of murder. In the September 2 attack. “And how did they identify them as members of the Tren de Aragua? Did they have, I don’t know, a chip? Did they have a QR code and (the U.S. military) read it from above in the dark?” Cabello said. “They openly confessed to murdering 11 people.”

Sept. 15 – The U.S. military carries out its second strike in open seas against an alleged drug boat, killing three people. Asked what proof the U.S. has that the vessel was carrying drugs, Trump tells reporters: “We have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo that was spattered all over the ocean.”

Sept. 19 – Trump says the U.S. military carried out its third fatal strike against an alleged drug smuggling vessel. He says the attack killed three people and that intelligence “confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics.” 

Oct. 2 – Trump declares drug cartels to be “unlawful combatants” and says the U.S. is now in an “armed conflict” with them. This is supposed “justification” for carrying out the military attacks in international waters, without Congressional authorization as required. 

Oct. 3 – Hegseth says he ordered a fourth strike on a small boat he claimed carried drugs in the waters off Venezuela. Trump says, without presenting any evidence, the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE” and implied it was “entering American Territory.” 

Oct. 8 – Trump announces the fifth strike against a small boat accused of carrying drugs, saying the attack killed six people. The president says “intelligence” confirmed the boat was associated with “narco-terrorist networks” and on a known drug trafficking route. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans vote down legislation that would have required the president to seek authorization from Congress before carrying out further military strikes. 

Oct. 15 – Trump says he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela. And he says the administration “is looking at land” as it considers further strikes in Venezuela and in the region. He declines to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against Maduro. The U.S. Air Force flies B-52 bombers close to Venezuelan air space.

Oct. 16 – Trump says the U.S. struck a sixth vessel in the Caribbean, killing two people and leaving two survivors who were on the semi-submersible craft. The survivors would be sent to Ecuador and Colombia, their home countries, “for detention and prosecution.” The Ecuadorean government declines to prosecute the survivor. 

Oct. 17 – The U.S. military attacks a seventh vessel that Hegseth says was carrying “substantial amounts of narcotics” and associated with a Colombian rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN. He says the strike killed all three “terrorists” on board. 

Oct 20 – The family of a Trinidadian fisherman, whose boat was blown up by one of the U.S. bombings, demands proof from the U.S. for their claims about the attack. 

Oct. 21 – A team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council blasts the “covert actions and threats” the U.S. is using against Venezuela.

Oct. 21 – Hegseth says the U.S. military launched its eighth strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel, killing two people in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia. The attack marks an expansion of the military’s targeting area and a shift to the waters west of South America.

Oct. 22 – Hegseth announces the ninth strike, another in the Pacific Ocean, saying three men were killed. Video posted on social media show a boat on the move, an explosion, then flames and smoke pouring out of the vessel.

Oct. 24 – Hegseth orders an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean in a major escalation of Trump's military campaign to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism.” This was followed by the first night strike in the series of boat attacks—this one on a “suspected drug-running boat” in the Caribbean, killing six people on board.