STORY: U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (September 3) defended a U.S. strike on what he called a drug-carrying boat from Venezuela a day after the United States said 11 people were killed on the vessel.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office for the visit of Polish President Karol Nawrocki that the boat was carrying "massive amounts of drugs," but he provided few details. "Venezuela has been a very bad actor," he said.

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Trump defends US strike on boat from Venezuela he says was carrying drugs

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DEFENDING A U.S. STRIKE ON WHAT HE CALLED A DRUG-CARRYING BOAT FROM VENEZUELA

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 3, 2025) (UNRESTRICTED POOL – Access all)

1. U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SPEAKING DURING MEETING WITH POLISH PRESIDENT KAROL NAWROCKI

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, IN EXCHANGE WITH OFF-CAMERA REPORTER, SAYING:

REPORTER (OFF-CAMERA): “Can you give us a sense of what the U.S. policy or what you're trying to achieve with the aircraft carriers or the boats, I should say, in near Venezuela? And also the boat that you mentioned yesterday where 11 people were killed. What was found in that boat and why were the men killed instead of…”

TRUMP: “On the boat they had massive amounts of drugs. We have tapes of them speaking. There was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people. And everybody fully understands that. In fact, you see it. You see the bags of drugs all over the boat and they were hit. Obviously, they won't be doing it again. And I think a lot of other people won't be doing it again when they watch that tape.”

3. TRUMP SPEAKING DURING MEETING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“Venezuela's been a very bad actor. They've been, as you know, they've been sending millions of people into our country, many of them Tren de Aragua, some of the worst gangs, some of the worst people anywhere in the world in terms of gangs. And we had some in Washington, D.C.. We took care of them very quickly. But they're out of here. They've gone. But Venezuela has been very bad, both in terms of drugs and sending some of the worst criminals anywhere in the world into our country.”

5. TRUMP SPEAKING DURING MEETING