WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump said the two survivors from a U.S. military strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea suspected of carrying drugs will be returned to their home countries for prosecution.
“The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on Saturday afternoon.
The strike destroyed a submarine believed to be transporting fentanyl and other illegal narcotics toward the United States. It was the sixth U.S. operation targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean since September.
A Controversial Campaign Against ‘Narco-Terrorists’
Trump said intelligence officials confirmed the submarine was “loaded up with fentanyl.” He added that the attack was part of his broader “war against the cartels,” aimed at halting drug flows by sea.
“Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea,” Trump declared.
At least 29 people have been killed in the series of maritime strikes launched by the administration. Critics, however, argue the operations lack transparency and raise questions about legality under U.S. and international law.
Legal Questions and Political Pushback
Repatriating the survivors avoids a potential legal confrontation over the rights of detainees captured during military operations. Under U.S. law, unarmed combatants held in military custody can challenge their detention in court.
Trump has maintained that he has legal authority to use lethal force against cartels, calling them terrorist organizations that pose “an imminent threat” to the United States. In a statement to Congress, the administration said the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with the cartels.
However, lawmakers from both parties have voiced concern over the president’s unilateral use of military power. In October, Republican senators blocked a measure by Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine that sought to limit Trump’s ability to strike vessels without congressional approval.
Expanding the Campaign Beyond the Sea
Trump designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in February, which administration officials argue provides legal justification for the strikes.
The president has since hinted that land-based strikes may be next. “We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump told reporters on October 15.
The Pentagon has not confirmed whether future operations will expand into Venezuelan or Colombian territory, but defense officials say intelligence gathering continues across the region.
WATCH THE VIDEO
