In a significant development, the U.S. military executed an operation targeting a suspected Venezuelan drug cartel vessel on Thursday while it was navigating international waters in the Caribbean. Uniquely, this strike resulted in the first occurrence of survivors, as confirmed by a U.S. official.

This recent action marks the fifth such mission conducted by the Trump administration against maritime vessels linked to Venezuelan drug operations in international waters. Previous missions resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals, with no survivors reported until now.

Concerns have been mounting among U.S. lawmakers regarding the lack of transparency and limited information shared by the White House concerning these military operations, as reported by NBC News.

Adding to the unfolding narrative, President Donald Trump made a candid disclosure on Wednesday, acknowledging that he had granted the CIA the authority to undertake unspecified actions within Venezuela.

In a media encounter at the White House, a reporter queried the President, “Why did you authorize the CIA to go into Venezuela?”

President Trump responded by stating, “I authorized for two reasons, really. No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America.”

“And the other thing are drugs,” he added. “We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela.”