WASHINGTON — The U.S. has seized survivors after a strike Thursday on a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, the first since President Donald Trump began launching deadly attacks in the region this summer, according to a defense official and another person familiar with the matter.
The people confirmed the strike Friday on the condition of anonymity because it has not yet been acknowledged by President Donald Trump’s administration. It is believed to be at least the sixth strike since Augus, and the first to result in survivors who were picked up by the U.S. military. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the individuals.
This strike on Thursday brings the death toll from the Trump administration's military action against vessels in the region to at least 28.
The survivors of this strike now face an unclear future and legal landscape, including questions about whether they are now considered to be prisoners of war or defendants in a criminal case.
