US seizes survivors after strike on suspected drug-carrying vessel in Caribbean

Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP)

The US has taken survivors into custody after its military struck a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, a defence official has said.

It is the first attack with any survivors since Donald Trump began launching deadly attacks in the region last month, officials said.

The president later confirmed the attack, saying: “We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs.”

Secretary of state Marco Rubio did not dispute that there were survivors, but repeatedly said details would be forthcoming.

Marco Rubio (Leon Neal/PA)

The strike on Thursday took the death toll from the Trump administration’s military action against vessels in the region to at least 28.

It is believed to be at least the sixth strike in the waters off Venezuela since early September, and the first to result in survivors who were picked up by the US military.

It was not immediately clear what would be done with the survivors who were being held on a US Navy vessel, sources said.

Mr Trump has justified the strikes by saying the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, relying on the same legal authority used by the Bush administration when it declared a war on terror after the September 11 attacks.

That includes the ability to capture and detain combatants and to use lethal force against their leadership.

Some legal experts have questioned the legality of the approach. The president’s use of overwhelming military force to combat the cartels, along with his authorisation of covert action inside Venezuela, possibly to oust President Nicolas Maduro, stretches the bounds of international law, legal experts said this week.

The survivors of Thursday’s strike face an unclear future and legal landscape, including questions about whether they are considered to be prisoners of war or defendants in a criminal case.

The strikes in the Caribbean have caused unease among Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, with some Republicans saying they have not received sufficient information on how the strikes are being conducted.

A classified briefing for senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month did not include representatives from intelligence agencies or the military command structure for South and Central America.

However, most Senate Republicans stood behind the administration last week when a vote on a War Powers Resolution was brought up, which would have required the administration to gain approval from Congress before conducting more strikes.

Their willingness to back the administration will be tested again. Democratic senator Tim Kaine is bringing another resolution that would prevent Mr Trump from outright attacking Venezuela without congressional authorisation.