US seized two survivors after strike on suspected drug vessel in Caribbean
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.”
A boat burns off the coast of Venezuela in this screen grab taken from a video released, depicting what US President Donald Trump said on a post on Truth Social was an American strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. (Photo: Truth Social/ Donald Trump)
The United States Military has seized two occupants from a suspected drug-trafficking vessel that was hit on Thursday. According to The Associated Press, the vessel, believed to be a semi-submersible or submersible, had three people onboard, when it was struck by the US.
Two survivors captured
While one of them has been killed, two others have survived, the report, which cited two unnamed US officials, said.
The strike on Thursday was the sixth confirmed instance of the US targeting alleged drug smuggling boats from Venezuela.
At least 27 people have been killed in previous strikes in the Caribbean. (Photo: Screengrab)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Pedestrians wall past a wall emblazoned with a message in support of President Nicolas Maduro that reads in Spanish: “If they mess with Maduro, they mess with the neighborhood”, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Oct 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
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
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.
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“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.
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A boat burns off the coast of Venezuela in this screen grab taken from a video released, depicting what US President Donald Trump said on a post on Truth Social was an American strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. (Photo: Truth Social/ Donald Trump) 
