U.S. military detains survivors of latest boat strike near Venezuela
The operation is the sixth known attack on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean, and the first known to have left some people alive.
Updated
October 17, 2025 at 7:37 p.m. EDT 57 minutes ago
By Tara Copp
,
Alex Horton
and
Noah Robertson
The U.S. military killed an unspecified number of suspected drug traffickers transiting the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela on Thursday, an attack that also resulted in the apprehension of two survivors, according to people familiar with the matter.
U.S. forces took the individuals into custody and continue to hold them aboard a Navy vessel in the region, two people said. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. This is believed to be the first time since the Trump administration dramatically escalated U.S. counternarcotics activities in Latin America that anyone has survived such an attack.
It was not clear Friday how many people died in the operation. One official familiar with the situation said the outcome was unexpected and had set off a frenzied debate among Pentagon leaders over what to do with the two people who were detained. This person said it appears military officials had no plan for such a contingency.
The Pentagon’s press office did not respond to requests for comment.
Donald Trump, speaking at the White House on Friday, acknowledged the operation but offered no detail other than to say that U.S. forces attacked a “submarine” that was “loaded up” with drugs. “This was not an innocent group of people,” he said.
People familiar with the situation said the suspects were targeted while in a semisubmersible, a vessel that moves through the water partially submerged but cannot fully dive like a submarine. Such “narco subs,” as they are sometimes called, have operated in the region for years but are rarely used, suggesting drug traffickers may be shifting to more covert means in an attempt to evade increasing U.S. surveillance efforts.
Thursday’s operation, including the capture of survivors, was first reported by Reuters.
The boat strikes have coincided with a massive military buildup in the Caribbean and as the administration takes an increasingly hostile stance toward Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, whom Trump has accused of sending drugs and violent criminals into the United States. The flurry of activity so close to Venezuelan territory — Trump also said this week that he authorized the CIA to conduct operations inside the country — has fueled speculation that his administration is plotting to forcibly remove Maduro from power.
During his remarks at the White House on Friday, the president was questioned about reports indicating the Venezuelan leader had made overtures to Washington seeking de-escalation. “He’s offered everything; you’re right,” Trump said in response. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f--- around with the United States.”
Since September, the Trump administration has disclosed the deaths of 27 people it has accused of being drug smugglers, though officials have not made public any evidence verifying who was on board the targeted vessels, what their nationalities are or what they were hauling at the time they were targeted. Thursday’s strike marks the sixth known attack of its kind. Previously, suspected drug boats were stopped by U.S. Coast Guard personnel, who typically would detain the crew and destroy the vessels.
In the face of mounting questions about the legality of the strikes, the Trump administration has sought to justify the killings by claiming the United States is in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels responsible for “poisoning” Americans, describing such groups as terrorist organizations. The fate of the individuals who were detained Thursday poses significant new legal questions, experts said.
Charles Dunlap, the former deputy judge advocate general of the Air Force, said that those taken into custody are not entitled to the full rights granted to prisoners of war but would still have to be held in a humane facility and, if tried, given due process.
“Though in theory there might be a case for military detention, I think in this instance the captives are likely to be turned over to law enforcement and, if the facts support doing so, processed with a view towards trial in civilian court on drug trafficking allegations,” he said.
The Trump administration’s secrecy around basic details related to the strikes — from the nature of the conflict it’s waging to the intelligence supporting its allegations that the targets are drug smugglers — complicates the path forward, Dunlap said. He noted that if the administration chooses to charge the survivors in a U.S. court, it would probably be compelled to disclose many of the details kept secret thus far.
“The biggest issue today,” Dunlap said, “is the lack of transparency.”
On Capitol Hill, Democrats have assailed the administration, calling the boat strikes indefensible. Congress has the sole authority to declare war and has not formally authorized the use of force in this instance, and lawmakers from both parties have been frustrated with what they say is a lack of information from the administration about its objectives in the region.
On Friday, a bipartisan group of senators said they would force a vote to block the Trump administration from attacking Venezuela. Last week, Senate Republicans narrowly defeated a similar effort led by Democrats that sought to halt the boat strikes.
“The pace of the announcements about the authorization of covert activities and the military planning makes me think there is some chance this could be imminent,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), who is leading the effort alongside Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California).
Kaine predicted a measure tailored to Venezuela would attract more support from GOP colleagues.
“At some point,” he said, “I believe that this body will say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, this is too much.’”
Dan Lamothe, Karen DeYoung and Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... caribbean/