US seized two survivors after strike on suspected drug vessel in Caribbean

The strike on Thursday was the sixth confirmed instance of the US targeting alleged drug smuggling boats from Venezuela.

Videos presented by the Trump administration of previous attacks showed vessels being completely destroyed, and there have been no prior accounts of survivors afterwards.

Trump’s war on drug trafficking from Venezuela

The Trump administration argues the US is already engaged in a war with narcoterrorist groups from Venezuela, making the strikes legitimate. Trump administration officials say lethal strikes are necessary because traditional efforts to apprehend crew members and seize cargoes have historically failed to stem the flow of narcotics into the US.

So far, at least 27 people have been killed in previous strikes in the Caribbean, with the military build-up sparking fears in Caracas that the ultimate goal is a change of government in Venezuela.

Extrajudicial executions: Venezuela

On Thursday, Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, condemned the US strike on a small boat in Caribbean waters that killed six people, calling it “a new set of extrajudicial executions.”

He called on the UN Security Council to investigate what he called a “series of assassinations,” noting there have been five lethal attacks since the strikes in the Caribbean began in September, targeting what US officials say are suspected drug traffickers.

Trinidadian fishermen missing

There are also concerns that some of those killed in the US strikes are fishermen from Trinidad and Tobago.

Chad Joseph, a fisherman from Las Cuevas in northern Trinidad, is said to have been missing for the past few days, and residents of the town believe he was killed in the strike

Joseph had moved to Venezuela six months ago and was working on farms in hopes of earning more money. On Tuesday, he boarded a boat bound for Trinidad and was expected to arrive on Wednesday, a relative said, adding that no one has heard from him since then.

His family has called and texted him to no avail as they condemned the strikes.“He was a quiet person,” Christine Clement, Joseph’s grandmother, said. “He has left the whole village in sadness.”

Trump authorises CIA covert operation in Venezuela

The strikes on alleged drug boats come at a time when there is 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 President Donald Trump escalates a standoff with the Venezuelan government.

On Wednesday, Trump disclosed he had authorised the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Less than a week ago, the Pentagon announced its counter-narcotics operations in the region would not be led by the Miami-based Southern Command, which oversees U.S. military activities in Latin America.

Instead, the Pentagon said a task force was being created that would be led by II Marine Expeditionary Force, a unit capable of rapid overseas operations that is based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

US Admiral steps down

Earlier on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the admiral who leads US Southern Command will step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, in a surprise move.

BREAKING: Admiral Alvin Holsey, overseeing airstrikes on Venezuela has just stepped down. pic.twitter.com/28qPHYEUF6

— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) October 16, 2025

The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed, called Admiral Alvin Holsey’s unexpected resignation “troubling” given mounting fears of a potential US confrontation with Venezuela.

“Admiral Holsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-earned lessons of previous US military campaigns and the advice of our most experienced warfighters,” Reed said in a statement.