President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that U.S. forces struck a drug-carrying submarine near Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in military tactics against what he described as narco-terrorist threats in the Caribbean. The incident reportedly left two survivors now in U.S. custody, though Trump did not elaborate.
“That was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs,” Trump said during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “This was not an innocent group of people. I don’t know too many people that have submarines.”
Senator Marco Rubio, also present, described the individuals targeted in the strike as “terrorists” and said details of the operation would be released at a later time. The administration has not confirmed whether the submarine was manned by Venezuelan nationals or other foreign operatives.
Trump previously informed Congress that the U.S. is now engaged in an armed conflict with designated drug cartels operating in the Caribbean. The President authorized the Department of War to conduct military operations under the laws of armed conflict, bypassing the usual interdiction and arrest strategy previously employed against maritime drug smuggling.
This latest submarine strike follows a series of at least five known operations targeting suspected drug boats in the region. Trump confirmed that a prior operation resulted in the deaths of six suspected traffickers. The Pentagon has not provided timelines or confirmed the total number of strikes.
The Venezuelan regime under Nicolás Maduro is widely suspected of involvement in transnational drug trafficking. The U.S. has charged Maduro with leading a cocaine smuggling cartel and has authorized CIA operations in Venezuela to combat the growing threat. Maduro’s 2024 reelection was condemned as fraudulent by international observers, and his regime continues to face allegations of human rights abuses and systemic corruption.
Republicans in the Senate recently blocked a Democrat-led attempt to require congressional approval for Trump’s military strikes against drug vessels. The vote failed 51-48, with some Republican defections and one Democrat voting against the proposal.