WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the U.S. military struck a submarine designed for drug trafficking, amid reports that some aboard the vessel had survived — a first in the administration’s offensive against purported narco-traffickers.

“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 on Friday. “Just so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people. I don’t know too many people that have submarines, and that was an attack on a drug-carrying, loaded-up submarine.”

Moments earlier, in response to a reporter’s question, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had declined to address details of the attack, saying only that the United States is conducting “an ongoing narco-terrorist operation.”

Officials from the U.S. and Ukraine were gathered in the White House’s Cabinet Room as Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Reuters reported earlier Friday that the U.S. Navy was holding two survivors on one of its vessels following an attack that left two others dead, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

U.S. Southern Command, the Navy and the Pentagon referred questions about the fate of the survivors, including medical treatment and potential legal proceedings, to the White House, which did not respond to a request for comment sent Friday morning.

Questions linger about the legality of the deadly strikes and the identities of those onboard, and the incident follows the announcement Thursday that Adm. Alvin Holsey, the head of U.S. Southern Command, plans to retire at the end of the year. Holsey was just one year into his term.

Trump on Wednesday confirmed a report that he had authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela, accusing the country of sending both drugs and criminals to the U.S. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whom U.S. officials accuse of heading a narco state, condemned the move as “desperate” and “immoral” and said Trump is pursuing an interventionist policy in the region.

The U.S. president said Maduro has offered concessions following the deadly U.S. strikes against boats operating near Venezuela.

“He’s offered everything,” Trump said. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to (expletive) around with the United States.”

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