In a recent escalation of its anti-narcotics operations, the United States has conducted a targeted strike on a suspected drug-smuggling submarine in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in two fatalities and two survivors. President Donald Trump announced via social media that the vessel, allegedly laden with Fentanyl and other illegal narcotics, was intercepted on a known drug-trafficking route. The two survivors, identified as nationals of Ecuador and Colombia, were rescued by a US military helicopter and subsequently transferred to a US warship. They will be repatriated to their home countries for detention and prosecution. This marks the sixth such strike in recent weeks, with at least 27 individuals killed in prior operations off the coast of Venezuela. Trump defended the attacks as necessary to curb the flow of drugs from Latin America into the US, though his administration has yet to provide detailed evidence regarding the vessels or their occupants. UN-appointed human rights experts have criticized the strikes as ‘extrajudicial executions,’ while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused Trump of attempting to turn Venezuela into ‘an American colony.’ The incident underscores the ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela, with Trump authorizing covert CIA operations in the region and considering further military actions. Narco-submarines, often homemade and difficult to detect, have become a favored method for drug traffickers, posing significant challenges for coastal nations.
US to repatriate survivors of strike on ‘drug-carrying submarine’, Trump says
