WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The U.S. military carried out a new strike Thursday on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean — the first known attack to leave survivors among the crew, a U.S. official said.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not offer details of the attack, which has not been previously reported. But it raises questions, including whether the U.S. military rendered aid to the survivors and whether they are now in U.S. military custody.
The Pentagon, which has labeled those it has targeted in the strikes as narcoterrorists, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before Thursday's operation, U.S. military strikes against suspected drug boats off Venezuela killed at least 27 people, raising alarms among some legal experts and Democrats in Congress who question whether they adhere to the laws of war.
The Trump administration argues the U.S. is already engaged in a war with narcoterrorist groups from Venezuela, making the strikes legitimate.
Video presented by the Trump administration of previous attacks showed vessels being destroyed, and there have been no previous accounts of survivors.
The strikes come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and about 6,500 troops as President Donald Trump escalates a standoff with the Venezuelan government.
On Wednesday, Trump disclosed he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, seen by Reuters, Venezuela's U.N. ambassador, Samuel Moncada, asked for a U.N. determination that the U.S. strikes off its coast are illegal and issue a statement backing Venezuela's sovereignty.
Less than a week ago, the Pentagon announced its counternarcotics 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 the II Marine Expeditionary Force, a unit capable of rapid overseas operations that is based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
That decision came as a surprise to U.S. military-watchers, since a combatant command such as the U.S. Southern Command would normally lead any high-profile operations.
Earlier on Thursday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that the admiral who leads the Southern Command will step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, in a surprise move.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Adm, Alvin Holsey's unexpected resignation troubling given mounting fears of a potential U.S. confrontation with Venezuela.
"Admiral Holsey's resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-earned lessons of previous U.S. military campaigns and the advice of our most experienced warfighters," Reed said in a statement.
© 2025 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.