8 hours ago
A video posted by the Pentagon on X showed black-and-white footage of the strike. In the clip, the semi-submersible vessel could be seen gliding through the waves with its front portion submerged just below the surface before a series of explosions struck, one detonating over the vessel's rear.
US destroys submarine carrying drugs.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 19, 2025 09:13 IST
The US military has destroyed a suspected drug-carrying submarine navigating towards American shores on a well-known narcotrafficking route in the Caribbean, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday.
"It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narcotrafficking transit route," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"US Intelligence confirmed this vessel was loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics."
Trump warned of the deadly threat posed by the submarine, saying, "Two of the terrorists were killed. At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore. The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution."
He further added, "No US Forces were harmed in this strike. Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea."
A video posted by the Pentagon on X showed black-and-white footage of the strike. In the clip, the semi-submersible vessel could be seen gliding through the waves with its front portion submerged just below the surface before a series of explosions struck, one detonating over the vessel's rear.
According to Trump, two people on board were killed, one more than previously reported, and two survivors were rescued by US forces after the strike on Thursday. The survivors were picked up in a helicopter operation and transported to a US Navy warship.
The two men, citizens of Ecuador and Colombia, are being repatriated "for detention and prosecution", Trump said. Colombian President Gustavo Petro later confirmed the return of the Colombian detainee, writing on X, "We are glad he is alive, and he will be prosecuted according to the law." Ecuador's government press office said it was not immediately aware of plans for repatriation.
With Trump's announcement, the death toll from US military action against suspected drug vessels in the region has reached at least 29 people, including 27 from previous strikes since early September.
Trump has justified the operations by asserting that the US is engaged in 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 authority includes the ability to capture and detain combatants and use lethal force against cartel leadership. The president is treating the suspected traffickers as enemy combatants in a traditional war setting.
The ongoing campaign has also raised concerns about the legality of the strikes and comes amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and around 6,500 troops as part of an escalating standoff with the Venezuelan government.
Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to intensify action against narcoterrorism, emphasised, "America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea."
The operation was at least the sixth US strike on semi-submersible vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean since early September. The Pentagon said the submersible vessel targeted in Thursday's operation was mostly loaded with fentanyl and other illegal narcotics, highlighting the scale of the threat to US shores.
- Ends
Published By:
Nakul Ahuja
Published On:
Oct 19, 2025
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