For the first time, the United States struck a “narcotics ship” in the Caribbean with a camouflaged plane

NYT: The US launched the first strike on a ship in the Caribbean from a camouflaged plane

The United States carried out its first strike on a drug ship in the Caribbean in September 2025 using a so-called “secret aircraft” disguised as a civilian one. The New York Times reported this, citing sources in the American administration.

According to the publication, the operation was carried out by the Pentagon using an aircraft that did not differ in appearance from a civilian one. The ammunition was placed inside the hull, and not under the wings, which made the aircraft visually indistinguishable from a conventional aircraft. As the New York Times notes, such tactics raise questions from the point of view of international humanitarian law, since during armed conflicts it is prohibited to pass off military equipment as civilian in order to mislead the enemy.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the strike on September 2. He said that the US military had hit a drug ship that, according to Washington, had left Venezuela. The White House later clarified that the destroyed motor boat belonged to “narco-terrorists” from the Aragua Train group. As a result of the attack, according to official data, 11 people were killed.

This episode was part of broader US actions in the region. Already on January 3, the US military launched a massive attack on Venezuela. During the operation, the country’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores were detained and taken to New York. Donald Trump said that they would stand trial on charges of involvement in narco-terrorism and a threat to US security. Maduro and Flores declared their innocence in court.

In response, Caracas demanded an urgent convening of a meeting of the UN Security Council. The Supreme Court of Venezuela temporarily assigned the powers of head of state to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who was later formally sworn in before the National Assembly as the President’s delegate.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela, called for the release of Maduro and his wife and warned against further escalation. Chinese authorities made similar statements, pointing to violations of international law by the United States. The DPRK Foreign Ministry also sharply criticized American actions.

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