On October 18, 2025, US President Donald Trump confirmed an airstrike on a submarine in the Caribbean, which he characterized as a drug-trafficking vessel. The attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, and two others were taken alive by US forces; it was the first presence of survivors during a bombing campaign which began on September 2nd, exposing Venezuela’s drug trafficking activities. Trump, speaking to the media while meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, claimed the submarine was carrying “massive amounts of drugs,” however he provided no evidence of the claim. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported his boss by describing the people targeted by the attack as “narco-terrorists.”
The Pentagon confirmed the survivors in US custody, but additional details were unavailable. This was the sixth US airstrike in the region, resulting in at least 28 deaths to date. To no surprise, the international community reacted harshly to the incident: for example, Colombia stated it is investigating potential Colombian nationals among the deceased, a family from Trinidad reported a family member missing, and Venezuela called on the United Nations to forcefully condemn the US attacks. The US attacks have escalated tensions, and calls into question the legality of the attacks and losses of civilian lives.
