Trump claims to have destroyed drug-carrying submarine in Caribbean
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has announced the destruction of a suspected drug-carrying submarine in the Caribbean. The vessel was reportedly headed toward American shores on a "known narcotrafficking route." "It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating toward the United States," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Drug threat
US intelligence report on submarine
Trump said that US Intelligence confirmed the submarine was mostly loaded with "fentanyl and other illegal narcotics." "At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore," he said in his post. The president also confirmed two known narcoterrorists were killed in the strike, while two others were rescued and are being sent back to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia "for detention and prosecution."
Twitter Post
Footage shared by White House
📹 DESTROYED: Confirmed DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 18, 2025
"Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea." - President Trump pic.twitter.com/N4TAkgPHXN
Ongoing operations
Strike part of larger US military campaign
Trump said the strike is part of a military campaign to choke the flow of drugs from Latin America to the United States. Since early September, at least six vessels have been targeted by US strikes, with Venezuela being implicated as a source for some. The operations have killed at least 29 people so far. Trump has defended these actions by claiming an "armed conflict" with drug cartels similar to that used in George Bush's post-9/11 war on terrorism.
Legal justification
Legal authority and military buildup in the Caribbean
The legal authority invoked by Trump allows for the capture and detention of combatants and the use of lethal force against cartel leadership. The president has classified suspected traffickers as enemy combatants in a conventional war scenario. These operations come amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and around 6,500 troops, as part of an escalating standoff with the Venezuelan government.