US President Donald Trump has announced that their military has destroyed a suspected drug-carrying semi-submersible vessel in the Caribbean Sea that was navigating toward American shores on a “well-known narcotrafficking transit route.”
The strike, which occurred on Thursday, was confirmed by the President on his Truth Social platform, where he stated, “It was my great honour to destroy a very large drug carrying submarine. U.S. Intelligence, he claimed, verified the vessel was “loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics.”
Trump confirmed that two people on board were killed in the strike, and two survivors—citizens of Ecuador and Colombia—were rescued. The President said the survivors are being repatriated to their home countries “for detention and prosecution.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro later confirmed the return of the Colombian detainee, stating he would be “prosecuted according to the law.”
The President dramatically justified the lethal force, warning that if he had allowed the submarine to come ashore, “At least 25,000 Americans would die.” He framed the operation as part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, relying on the same legal authority used by the George W. Bush administration in the post-9/11 War on Terrorism. This legal stance treats the suspected traffickers as enemy combatants.
A video of the strike, posted by the Pentagon on X, showed black-and-white footage of the semi-submersible vessel before a series of explosions struck.
This operation marks at least the sixth U.S. strike against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the region since early September, bringing the total death toll from these actions to at least 29 people. The campaign coincides with a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, and a nuclear submarine.
The aggressive campaign has prompted concerns from some legal experts and members of Congress regarding the legality of using military force and the assertion of “armed conflict” status against drug cartels. Trump, however, remains firm on his stance, emphasizing, “The United States of America will not tolerate narco terrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea.”
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