Venezuelans reacted from Caracas on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his administration’s military role in the Caribbean with what he called a deadly strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel.

From Caracas some Venezuelans expressed worry about the escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.

The deadly U.S. military attack on a boat accused of carrying drugs in the Caribbean this week is the latest in a series of extraordinary measures that President Donald Trump has taken to combat the threat it sees from the Tren de Aragua gang.

The White House has offered few details on Tuesday’s attack and insists the 11 people aboard were members of the gang.

U.S. officials have yet to explain how the military determined that those aboard the vessel were Tren de Aragua members. The strike represents a paradigm shift in how the U.S. is willing to combat drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.

The Venezuelan government limited its reaction to the strike to questioning the veracity of a video showing the attack. Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez suggested it was created using artificial intelligence and described it as an “almost cartoonish animation, rather than a realistic depiction of an explosion.”

Some Caracas residents questioned that version.

"Images of war tend to be a bit strange but I think they won't lie with that", said Guillermo Salas, who works in digital marketing. Salas said he received the news with pre-occupation about what could happen. "For the first time he (Donald Trump) says something, and for the first time he acted. I don't know how this will end up, but it is worrying."

The strike came after the U.S. announced last month that it planned to boost its maritime force in waters off Venezuela to fight threats from Latin American drug cartels.

The military build-up has generated speculation in Venezuela, and for many it represents hope that a long-desired change in the country might be possible.

Last year, Venezuelans went to the polls to elect a new president, contest that ended up with president Nicolás Maduro being sworn in for a third term despite credible evidence showed by the opposition saying he lost the election.

"They cannot dominate 30 million human beings that are all Venezuelans", says retiree Oscar Anteliz. "We are 30 million who are waiting to see what happens."

AP Video shot by Juan Arraez