MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Two survivors captured after US military strike on alleged Venezuelan “narco-submarine”

The attack marks the sixth US strike on Venezuelan vessels in recent weeks, amid growing regional tensions and accusations of extrajudicial killings.

Two people have reportedly survived a US military attack on a vessel allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela and are being held aboard a Navy ship in the Caribbean, according to unnamed US officials cited by American media.

The strike, which took place on Thursday, is the sixth US attack on Venezuelan ships in recent weeks—and the first in which survivors have been reported.

Trump: US Navy — Destroyed a Drug Smuggling Submarine near Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/oZqA5IjBdQ

— Joshua Reid | Redpills.tv (@realjoshuareid) October 17, 2025

President Donald Trump confirmed the operation on Friday, describing the targeted vessel as a “drug-carrying submarine” and justifying the attacks as part of Washington’s broader campaign against Venezuela’s alleged drug trafficking networks.

“We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for transporting massive amounts of drugs,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “This was not an innocent group of people. I don’t know too many people who have submarines.”

The survivors were reportedly rescued by a US military helicopter before being transferred to a nearby warship. The US government has not officially confirmed their capture or condition, and neither Trump nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the reports directly. Rubio referred to the targets as “narco-terrorists” and said further details would be released later.

International concern and UN criticism

The attacks, which have killed at least 27 people, have drawn sharp criticism from UN-appointed human rights experts, who described them as “extrajudicial executions.”

On Thursday, Trinidad and Tobago announced an investigation after two of its citizens—believed to be fishermen—were reportedly killed in a similar strike. “There is a killer prowling the Caribbean,” said Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada, calling for UN Security Council intervention and warning that “people from different countries are suffering the effects of these massacres.”

Escalating US-Venezuela tensions

The incident comes as tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to escalate. Earlier this week, Trump confirmed he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and suggested that “phase two” of his anti-narcotics campaign could include attacks on Venezuelan territory.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose legitimacy remains disputed internationally, has accused Trump of seeking to turn Venezuela into “an American colony” and has urged peace.

Meanwhile, the US military presence in the Caribbean has reached around 10,000 troops, according to defense sources, with B-52 bombers conducting flights over the region and Navy warships stationed near Venezuelan waters.

Narco-submarines—often handmade from fiberglass and plywood—have become increasingly common in drug trafficking operations, capable of carrying up to three tonnes of cocaine to destinations including the United States and Europe.

But for many in the region, the recent escalation represents something far larger. As Moncada warned at the UN: “These attacks are not about drugs—they are about power.”