(MENAFN) President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US military had destroyed a submarine in the Caribbean used for drug trafficking.

The announcement follows recent US strikes on at least five surface vessels since September, reportedly linked to cartels operating out of Venezuela, a government that Trump has accused of supporting “narcoterrorists.”

“We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Just so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people,” he added.

Earlier reports indicated that the US Navy recovered several survivors from the submarine and detained them aboard a warship, marking a first in such operations.

Trump also confirmed that he had authorized covert CIA missions on Venezuelan territory but did not clarify whether these efforts aimed to remove left-wing President Nicolas Maduro. The US has imposed broad sanctions on Venezuela during Trump’s first term and recently increased the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million.

Maduro has dismissed what he described as “CIA-led coups” and called for regional peace. “Until when will CIA coups d’état continue? Latin America doesn’t want them, doesn’t need them, and repudiates them,” he said on Wednesday, according to reports.

The Venezuelan government has denied connections with drug cartels and pledged to defend its territory against any potential attacks.

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