Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the US of committing “homicide” after putting what President Donald Trump has referred to as a “drug-carrying submarine”.
Writing on social media, Trump mentioned two individuals had been killed within the US strike on the vessel, which he mentioned US intelligence confirmed was “loaded up with largely Fentanyl, and different unlawful narcotics”.
Pedro responded on X, saying: “The Colombian boat was adrift and had its misery sign up on account of an engine failure,” when it was struck. He added: “We await explanations from the US authorities.”
Thursday’s attack is a minimum of the sixth US strike on ships within the Caribbean Sea in latest weeks. It’s the first time survivors have been reported.
Trump mentioned the US would return two individuals who survived a strike on what he referred to as a “drug-carrying submarine” to their international locations of origin, Ecuador and Colombia.
Pedro confirmed Colombia had acquired one of many survivors of the assault, saying: “We’re glad that he’s alive and he can be processed in accordance with the legal guidelines.”
At the least 27 individuals had been killed within the prior 5 boat strikes within the waters off Venezuela, in keeping with figures launched by the US administration.
The 2 survivors had been rescued by a US army helicopter after which shuttled onto a US warship within the Caribbean, unnamed US officers informed US media earlier.
In latest weeks, Trump has ramped up threats in opposition to Venezuela’s management over claims that the nation is sending medication to the US. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of attempting to make the South American nation “an American colony”.
Trump has defended the continuing boat assaults, saying they’re aimed toward stemming the stream of medicine from Latin America into the US, however his authorities has not offered proof or particulars in regards to the identities of the vessels or these on board.
“It was my nice honor to destroy a really massive DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating in the direction of the USA on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route,” Trump mentioned in his Reality Social submit on Saturday.
“The 2 surviving terrorists are being returned to their Nations of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution.”
He added that no US army personnel had been injured within the assault.
On Friday, the US president had mentioned the submarine concentrating on the most recent assault was “constructed particularly for the transportation of large quantities of medicine”.
“This was not an harmless group of individuals. I do not know too many individuals who’ve submarines, and that was an assault on a drug-carrying, loaded submarine,” he added.
UN-appointed human rights consultants have described the US strikes as “extrajudicial executions”.
Trump earlier informed reporters that he had authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, and that he was contemplating launching assaults on Venezuelan soil.
Narco-subs have develop into a well-liked solution to transport medication as they will go largely undetected, and may be sunk after supply. They’re typically do-it-yourself and constructed utilizing fibreglass and plywood.
The US, in addition to different coastal nations, have beforehand intercepted a few of these subs.
