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Fact check: Did trump said this in spanish: We are finishing the Venezuelan n4rcoterr0rists, we are eliminating them completely... Thousands of people die from the loads of those boats

Checked on October 5, 2025

Executive Summary

The available reporting does not show President Trump uttering the exact Spanish sentence quoted. Multiple outlets document Trump labeling Venezuelan-smuggling crews as “narcoterrorists” and announcing U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats, but none present the alleged Spanish quote or a verbatim Spanish-language statement [1] [2]. Recent coverage from September–October 2025 confirms actions and rhetoric, not the specific Spanish phrasing attributed to him [3] [4].

1. Why the Spanish quote can’t be verified — a straightforward gap in the record

News reports and primary excerpts compiled in these analyses include Trump’s claims about striking Venezuelan boats and calling those aboard “narcoterrorists,” yet none reproduce the alleged Spanish sentence. Contemporary pieces from mid-September to late October 2025 document social-media posts, statements, and released videos describing U.S. strikes killing three people and characterize Trump’s rhetoric about Venezuela, but the exact Spanish wording is absent from the record provided [5] [6]. The absence of a primary audio or transcript citation weakens any assertion that he spoke those words in Spanish.

2. What the sources do confirm — actions and rhetorical framing

Reporting confirms President Trump publicly announced U.S. strikes on boats he described as drug-smuggling vessels originating in Venezuela and used the term “narcoterrorists” in that context. Multiple outlets reported his social-media disclosures and administration statements announcing at least two strikes and framing the activity as part of a campaign to halt narcotics shipments [1] [2]. These pieces establish a consistent pattern of rhetoric and kinetic action, but they stop short of documenting the disputed Spanish-language quote itself [3] [7].

3. Different reporting angles — military action vs. factual drug-flow claims

Coverage diverges on implications: some reporting foregrounds legal and moral concerns about lethal strikes and civilian deaths, while other pieces emphasize policy aims such as the HALT Fentanyl Act and efforts to disrupt traffickers. Journalistic accounts note that most U.S.-consumed fentanyl originates from Mexico and most cocaine from Colombia, which complicates claims that Venezuela is the primary source [4]. The sources collectively show a contested factual backdrop against which Trump’s rhetoric and strikes took place, but they do not supply the Spanish quote attributed to him [4] [7].

4. What the social-media and government releases actually say — narrow public record

Available primary public materials cited in the analyses include Truth Social posts, video clips of strikes, and official proclamations announcing targeted actions; these materials document claims of “knocking off” boats and killing alleged traffickers, and they contain emphatic English-language rhetoric. Reporting on the September 15–16, 2025 strikes references video and posts but does not transcribe any Spanish-language statements [5] [2]. The public record, as presented in these sources, supports action-oriented claims rather than the existence of the specific Spanish wording.

5. How experts and fact-checkers contextualize the broader claims

Analysts and fact-checkers in the provided sources emphasize that while Venezuela is implicated in some trafficking routes, the scale of its contribution to U.S. drug supplies is limited relative to Mexico and Colombia; this context matters when assessing broad assertions about Venezuelan responsibility for U.S. overdoses. Those assessments appear in PolitiFact-style and explanatory pieces from September 2025, which highlight that rhetorical framing can overstate Venezuela’s role even as strikes proceed [4] [8]. No source confirms the disputed Spanish phrase, so contextual correction is necessary.

6. Why misattribution or translation errors likely occur in viral quotes

High-profile claims about strikes and “narcoterrorists” circulated rapidly on social platforms, raising the risk of paraphrase, mistranslation, or invention when statements move between languages and channels. The sources show Trump issuing forceful English-language posts and announcements; translation into Spanish by third parties or viral posts could produce an attributed Spanish sentence that lacks a verifiable origin in the primary materials [5] [3]. Given the evidence provided, the most plausible explanation is misattribution rather than a documented Spanish utterance.

7. Bottom line and guidance for verification

The evidence in these reports from September–October 2025 confirms Trump’s rhetoric about Venezuelan drug boats and U.S. strikes, but does not verify the quoted Spanish sentence. To confirm the quote beyond doubt, one would need a primary source: a recorded speech, an official transcript, or a contemporaneous video showing Trump speaking in Spanish. Until such a primary record is produced, the claim that he “said this in Spanish” remains unsupported by the supplied reporting [6] [9]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">[9].

Want to dive deeper?
What is the context of Donald Trump's statement on Venezuelan narcoterrorists?
How has the Trump administration addressed narcoterrorism in Venezuela?
What are the official US policies towards Venezuelan narcoterrorist groups?
Has Donald Trump made similar statements about narcoterrorism in other countries?
What is the current situation with narcoterrorism in Venezuela as of 2025?