Exclusive – In the first strike, the US in the Caribbean Celces Survived, said the American official
By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military carried out a new strike on Thursday against a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, and in what is believed to be the first of its kind, there were survivors among the crew, U.S. officials said.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide further details about the incident, which was previously reported. But it raises new questions, including whether the US military provided aid to the survivors and whether he is now in US military custody.
The Pentagon, which has labeled those targeted in the strikes as narcoterrorists, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before Thursday’s operation, US military strikes against suspected drug boats in Venezuela killed at least 27 people, raising alarms among some pro-democracy activists, who question whether they are following the rules of war.
The Trump administration argues the US is already engaged in a war with narcoterrorist groups from Venezuela, making the strikes legal.
Videos released by the Trump administration of previous attacks have shown ships being completely destroyed, and there have been no preliminary accounts of survivors.
The strikes come against the backdrop of a US military build-up in the Caribbean that includes guided bombers, F-35 jets, and nearly 6,500 nuclear forces as President Donald Trump steps up accommodation with the Venezuelan government.
On Wednesday, Trump revealed that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding speculation that the United States in Caracas was trying to impersonate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
In a letter to the Security Council of the United Nations 15, seen by Reuters, Samuzuela Samuel Macada asked for a UN resolution
Less than a week ago, the Pentagon announced its counter-narcotic operations in the region would be led by the Miami-based Southern Commal, which deals with US military operations in Latin America.
Instead, the Pentagon said a taskforce was being created that would be led by the II Marine Expeditionary Force, a unit with overseas operations capabilities based at Camp Lejee in North Carolina.
That decision came as a surprise to US military watchers, because the Southern Command usually led any higher operations.
Earlier on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the admiral in charge of Southern Command will step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, in a surprise move.
The top Democrat on the Senate Service committee, Senator Jack Reed, called Admiral Alvin Holsey Feracting Feracting Feralless given the fear made by the importation made by the Venezuela conflict.
“Admiral Helsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-earned lessons of past military campaigns and the advice of our experienced warfighters,” the statement said.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincolndide.)
