Writing on social media, Trump said two others were killed in the Thursday attack, which US intelligence reportedly confirmed was carrying
mostly Fentanyl and other illegal narcotics
The strike marks at least the sixth US attack on vessels in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks. Officials said it is the first instance in which survivors have been reported.
According to figures released by the administration, the previous five strikes off the Venezuelan coast killed at least 27 people.
The two survivors were rescued by a US military helicopter and transferred to a US warship in the Caribbean, unnamed US officials told media.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed the return of the Colombian survivor on X, writing,
We received the Colombian detained in the narco submarine; we are glad that he is alive and he will be processed in accordance with the laws
In recent weeks, Trump has intensified his threats against Venezuela’s leadership, citing claims that the country is sending drugs to the US. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of attempting to turn Venezuela into 'an American colony.'
Trump defended the boat strikes, saying they target the flow of illegal drugs from Latin America into the US, though his administration has not provided evidence or details on the vessels or those on board.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump wrote,
It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route. The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution. No US military personnel were injured in the attack
On Friday, Trump added that the targeted submarine was
built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs
and described it as 'not an innocent group of people' because of its ownership of the vessel.
UN-appointed human rights experts have criticised the strikes, describing them as 'extrajudicial executions.' Trump has also told reporters he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and is considering attacks on Venezuelan soil.
Narco-submarines, often homemade using fibreglass and plywood, have become a common method for transporting drugs as they are difficult to detect and can be sunk after delivery.
The US and other coastal nations have intercepted such vessels in the past.
