Two people were killed and two others survived after the United States carried out a strike on a ‘drug-carrying submarine’ in the Caribbean, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday. The vessel was reportedly transporting fentanyl and other illegal narcotics toward the US through a known narco-trafficking route. Trump claimed the mission prevented a massive influx of drugs that could have caused thousands of deaths.
US Strike on Drug-Carrying Submarine: Two Dead, Two Survivors Repatriated
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “It was my great honour to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route.” He said the two survivors were repatriated to Ecuador and Colombia, adding that no US personnel were harmed. “At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore. Under my watch, the United States will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea,” Trump said.
Authorities in both Ecuador and Colombia confirmed that the survivors had returned home. A government source in Ecuador told Reuters that the Ecuadorian national arrived at 11 am local time and would face legal processing. Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed on X that the detained Colombian was alive and would be prosecuted according to the law.
US Expands Anti-Drug Operations Across the Caribbean
The strike marked another escalation in Trump’s intensified anti-narcotics campaign aimed at halting the flow of drugs from Latin America. Since September, at least six vessels, including speedboats and submarines, have been destroyed by US forces in the Caribbean, many allegedly originating from Venezuela. Washington claims that 27 drug smugglers have been killed so far, although it has provided no supporting evidence.
Earlier in the week, US forces conducted a similar strike on a small vessel off the Venezuelan coast, killing six people. The Trump administration continues to justify such actions under the “laws of war,” arguing that narcotraffickers pose a threat comparable to terrorist groups.
Trump Administration Defends Military Strikes on Drug Traffickers
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the strikes, describing them as essential for national security. “A drug cartel is no different than al Qaeda, and they will be treated as such,” he stated. Trump also labelled the traffickers as “narcoterrorists,” alleging that one vessel carried operatives from Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization that Washington recently designated as a foreign terrorist group.
Regional Backlash Over US Military Actions
The strikes have drawn sharp criticism from Latin American leaders. Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the US of violating his country’s sovereignty and killing an innocent fisherman. “US government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty in our territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to drug traffickers,” Petro said, calling for accountability from Washington.
The incident has further strained relations between the United States and several Latin American nations, raising questions about the legality and morality of unilateral military actions in international waters.
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