US President Donald Trump has announced that two survivors of a US strike on what he called a “drug-carrying submarine” will be repatriated to Ecuador and Colombia, their home countries.
In a social media post, Trump said two others were killed in the strike, adding that US intelligence confirmed the vessel was “loaded with mostly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics.”
The attack, carried out Thursday in the Caribbean Sea, marks the sixth US strike on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in recent weeks — and the first in which survivors have been reported. Officials previously confirmed at least 27 deaths in earlier incidents near Venezuelan waters.
The Strike and Its Aftermath
According to US officials cited by American media, the two survivors were rescued by a US military helicopter and later transferred to a Navy warship operating in the region.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed on social media:
“We have received the Colombian detained in the narco-submarine. We are glad he is alive, and he will be processed according to the law.”
Trump has intensified rhetoric against Venezuela, accusing its government of facilitating drug shipments to the US. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has dismissed the allegations, accusing Washington of trying to turn his country into “an American colony.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote:
“It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating toward the United States. The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their countries of origin for detention and prosecution.”
He emphasized that no US personnel were injured in the operation.
Human Rights Concerns
UN-appointed human rights experts have condemned the US naval strikes, describing them as “extrajudicial executions.” They have urged Washington to disclose details about the operations and ensure accountability under international law.
Earlier, Trump had publicly stated that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert actions in Venezuela, and that he was considering “further strikes” inside the country.
The Rise of Narco-Subs
So-called “narco-submarines” have become an increasingly common tool for drug traffickers. Often homemade from fiberglass and plywood, they can travel long distances while evading radar — and are sometimes deliberately sunk after delivery.
While the US and Latin American authorities have intercepted several such vessels in the past, the scale and lethality of recent US operations have sparked debate over whether Washington’s campaign represents a legitimate anti-narcotics effort — or a new front in geopolitical confrontation across the Americas.
