(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that American forces destroyed a “drug-carrying” submarine traveling toward the United States along a “well known narcotrafficking route.”

“It was my great honor to destroy a very large drug-carrying submarine that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narcotrafficking transit route,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added that US intelligence confirmed the vessel was loaded with “mostly fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics.”

Trump said there were “four known narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two of the terrorists were killed,” and noted that no US forces were harmed during the strike. He claimed that “at least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore” and stated that the two surviving suspects will be returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for “detention and prosecution.”

“The US will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea,” Trump emphasized.

Since last month, US forces have carried out at least six strikes in the Caribbean Sea against vessels allegedly transporting illegal drugs, mostly in international waters near Venezuela.

Tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have risen recently, following the deployment of a US naval group to the southern Caribbean.

Washington maintains the force is intended to combat criminal cartels and drug trafficking.

When asked on Friday about reports that Maduro offered “everything in his country, all the natural resources” to ease tensions with the US — a claim denied by Venezuela — Trump said the Venezuelan leader “offered everything… because he doesn’t want to f**k around with the United States.”

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also announced last week that the department is forming a joint task force under US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to target drug trafficking organizations.

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