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US seizes survivors from suspected drug boat after latest strike in Caribbean

by JESSICA A. BOTELHO | The National News Desk

Fri, October 17th 2025 at 11:20 AM

Updated Fri, October 17th 2025 at 5:02 PM

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President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House, early Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington, after returning from a trip to Israel and Egypt. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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WASHINGTON (TNND) — The U.S. seized survivors after in the Caribbean, according to a report.

Citing unnamed sources, The Associated Press broke the news Friday, adding that it was "not immediately clear what would be done with the individuals."

President Donald Trump later confirmed the attack.

We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs” Trump said during an unrelated news conference on Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that he's not ready to announce all the details, but plans to soon.

When we are prepared to announce those, we will,” Rubio said during the media briefing, adding that more information might be released later on Friday.We are undertaking these operations against narco terrorists. That's what they are -- they are terrorists, let's be clear," he also said.

Trump also dropped the "F" bomb during the news conference, as he confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has "offered everything" to end disputes with him and his administration.

He has offered everything -- he has offered everything. You're right. You know why? Because he doesn't want to f*ck around with the United States," Trump told a reporter.

The response came after the reporter posed about a question about whether Maduro offered concessions -- including natural resources -- to appease Trump.

The latest strike -- which marked the sixth under Trump's administration -- reportedly occurred on Thursday. It was the first strike that had survivors.

So far, nearly 30 "narcoterrorists" have been killed in what Trump has described as "kinetics strikes." The president previously said the boats were all filled with drugs.

The fifth strike, which killed six narcoterrorists on a boat off the coast of Venezuela, was announced Tuesday.

Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility -- just off the Coast of Venezuela," Trump wrote on Truth Social.Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route," he added. "The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth previously said the fourth strike killed four men on October 4.

"The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics -- headed to America to poison our people," Hegseth previously wrote on X."Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!" Hegseth noted.

The White House claimed the vessel was "loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 people."

Trump on September 19 said on a vessel carrying illegal drugs. Trump said that strike killed three "narcoterrorists."

STOP SELLING FENTANYL, NARCOTICS, AND ILLEGAL DRUGS IN AMERICA, AND COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICANS!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.

That news came after the U.S. military targeted a second boat Trump said was carrying drugs from Venezuela. He said that strike also resulted in the deaths of "3 male terrorists."

The first strike occurred on September 2 on a vessel the Trump administration identified as a drug-carrying speedboat from Venezuela. Eleven people were killed in that strike.

Trump said that boat was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests," the president previously said.

At the start of October, Trump formally decided that the U.S. is now in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. He told Congress the administration is labeling them as "unlawful combatants.”

At the President’s direction, the Department of War is establishing a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force in the @SOUTHCOM area of responsibility to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe. The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold," Hegseth wrote on X.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.