President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the United States executed another military strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea this week, intensifying the already strained relations with Venezuela.
During a meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, Trump addressed the incident for the first time when questioned about reports of survivors from the attack.
“We targeted a submarine designed specifically for transporting large quantities of narcotics,” Trump stated, though he did not provide concrete evidence regarding the type of vessel or its cargo.
“This was not a group of innocent civilians. I can’t think of many people who own submarines,” he added.
The initial report of this latest strike was published by Reuters on Thursday, marking the first time survivors have been identified since the U.S. began its bombing campaign in the Caribbean on September 2.
An anonymous Department of Defense official informed U.S. media that two survivors have been detained, though their legal status and health remain unclear. Reports indicate that two others perished in the explosion.
When asked about the survivors during Friday’s meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio refrained from providing additional information but defended the U.S. operations as essential to disrupting illegal drug trafficking.
“These actions are directed against narco-terrorists,” Rubio emphasized. “Let’s be clear: these are terrorists.”
The Trump administration has confirmed five separate attacks, resulting in at least 28 fatalities.
Officials have framed these military actions as efforts to curb drug smuggling originating from Venezuela.
While the government has not disclosed the identities of those killed, Colombian President Gustavo Petro suggested that some victims may have been Colombian nationals.
A family from Trinidad and Tobago, located just 11 kilometers (about seven miles) from Venezuela’s coast, has also expressed belief that a relative was among those killed in the recent strikes.
In response, Venezuela has appealed to the United Nations Security Council, demanding that these attacks be declared unlawful.
Legal experts argue that these strikes likely violate both U.S. and international law, as drug traffickers are not recognized as legitimate combatants in armed conflicts.
Maduro’s Concessions Confirmed
During the same Oval Office discussion, Trump appeared to verify reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has made offers aimed at de-escalating tensions with the United States.
“He has offered everything, that’s true,” Trump responded to a reporter’s inquiry. “He knows better than to mess with the United States.”
Trump’s antagonism toward Maduro dates back to his first term, during which he launched a “maximum pressure” campaign against the Venezuelan leader.
After beginning his second term in January, Trump engaged in limited diplomatic talks with Maduro’s government, dispatching special envoy Richard Grenell to Caracas to negotiate migrant deportations and the release of detained American citizens.
However, earlier this month, the administration ended Grenell’s diplomatic efforts, effectively halting official outreach.
In August, Trump also raised the bounty on Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.
The rising tensions with Venezuela coincide with Trump’s push to expand his executive authority.
He has claimed that the U.S. is facing an “invasion” by violent migrants, drug traffickers, and criminal organizations, using this narrative to justify broad emergency declarations and invoke wartime powers, including those under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
To support these claims, Trump alleged that the Venezuelan government orchestrated an “invasion” by the criminal group Tren de Aragua.
No evidence has been presented to substantiate this, and a report from the National Intelligence Council released in April contradicted these assertions, finding no links between Tren de Aragua and Maduro’s administration.
Despite this, critics warn that such rhetoric could pave the way for military actions aimed at overthrowing Maduro. Both the U.S. and Venezuela have increased their military deployments in the Caribbean region.
Trump also appeared to confirm earlier reports that he authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out covert operations within Venezuela.
It is important to note that Venezuela is not considered a primary hub for global drug trafficking.
