WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A strike by US forces on a boat in the Caribbean on Thursday left survivors for the first time since Washington started targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels from Venezuela, US media reported.

The US has deployed several military vessels to the Caribbean Sea and launched a series of deadly naval strikes on boats in recent weeks.

The latest attack on Thursday left survivors among those on board, media outlets including CBS, CNN and NBC reported, citing unidentified US officials.

The Pentagon did not respond immediately to an Agence France-Presse request for information about the number of survivors and their condition.

At least 27 people have been killed in previous strikes in the Caribbean, with the military buildup sparking fears in Caracas that the ultimate goal is a change of government in Venezuela.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was weighing up whether to expand US military actions against the alleged Venezuelan drug cartels.

“We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trinidad and Tobago, which is located off the coast of Venezuela, is investigating whether two of those killed were its citizens, officials said on Wednesday.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro recently called on the United Nations to open a “criminal process” against Trump for the strikes, which he believes have also killed Colombians.