The U.S. military struck another boat in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, and there were survivors aboard the vessel, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News. A day later, CBS News learned there were two survivors.
President Trump on Saturday said the survivors, one from Ecuador and another from Colombia, will be returned to their countries of origin.
“There were four known narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two of the terrorists were killed,” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding the survivors will be repatriated for “detention and prosecution.”
Thursday’s strike marks the sixth known boat attack in the area since last month — and the first known attack with survivors. Mr. Trump said the strike was against a submarine carrying mostly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics.
“Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea,” he added.
A Navy helicopter transported the survivors from the semi-submersible to a Navy ship, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News on Friday.
“It is the custom of the sea to save people who are at risk in international waters. You don’t sort of sail on. That’s against every principle of naval activity,” Eugene R. Fidell, a senior research scholar at Yale Law School, told CBS News on Friday. “You’re supposed to save people, even though the people here are people who are only in danger because the U.S. was attempting to kill them.”
At least 27 people have been killed in the prior five boat strikes in the waters off Venezuela, according to figures released by the administration.
In some cases, Mr. Trump has posted videos of the strikes to Truth Social and alleged the boats were carrying drugs, describing the deceased as “narcotraffickers.” The administration has justified the strikes by arguing the U.S. is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.
“When they’re loaded up with drugs, they’re fair game, and every one of those ships were,” the president told reporters Wednesday.
Some lawmakers have pushed back on the strikes, arguing the administration needs to get permission from Congress to attack drug cartels and hasn’t provided sufficient evidence that the boats are carrying narcotics.
The attacks are taking place amid a wider military buildup in the Caribbean, as the administration pressures the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of working with drug cartels.
The U.S. has deployed eight warships, fighter jets and 10,000 U.S. forces to the region. And on Wednesday, American B-52 bombers flew about 150 miles north of the coast of Venezuela, CBS News previously reported.
Mr. Trump also confirmed Wednesday that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, citing drugs and migration.
“I think Venezuela is feeling heat,” the president said during an Oval Office event.
And in comments from the Oval Office on Friday, Mr. Trump confirmed a recent New York Times report that Venezuelan officials had offered the U.S. a huge stake in the country’s oil, gold and other natural resources to try to end U.S. actions taken against the country. He said Friday of Maduro, “He has offered everything. He’s offered everything,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re right. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f*** around with the United States.”
Maduro has denied connections to drug trafficking and accused the Trump administration of seeking regime change. Earlier this week, he said he’s ready to declare a state of emergency over American “aggression,” and granted himself additional powers in case the U.S. “dares to attack our homeland.”