Was The Venezuela Gang's 'Fast Boat' Crew Bent On Terrorism?

2025-09-04 07:01:19

(MENAFN- Asia Times) US President Donald Trump released dramatic footage of a“fast boat,” described as belonging to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang, destroyed somewhere in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. According to Trump, all 11 occupants of the boat died when it exploded.

One question that lingers over this event, which marked a major policy change by the current administration, is why the fast boat was carrying 11 people. Typically, narcotics smugglers' fast boats – sometimes called go-fasts – are operated by two or three crew members.

A fast boat is usually made from fiberglass. The boats are manufactured under cover, often near the coastline in jungle areas. They are fast because they are equipped with powerful inboard or outboard engines.

The destroyed fast boat had three outboard engines. These engines are often from major manufacturers such as Yamaha and Mercury, with individual motors capable of 250 horsepower or more.

Some fast boats can have as many as five to eight engines with total output sometimes exceeding 2,000 horsepower. They can be launched from many areas in South and Central America. These boats have high fuel consumption, so they often need refueling as they traverse the Caribbean, Atlantic or Pacific routes to the United States.

Because of the speed of the boats (over 90 knots in some cases), most conventional military ships can't keep up with them, necessitating the use of helicopters and RIBs (rapid inflatable boats). A high performance RIB can reach 70 knots speed. Interdictions are likely to be successful when RIBs for boarding and helicopters work in tandem.

The US Coast Guard runs a special program for this purpose called the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON). HITRON has been successful, to a degree, but the Coast Guard ships need to be operating relatively close to a detected target, which is not always the case.

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