Following an American military operation targeting a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, President Donald Trump announced that the two survivors will be repatriated to Ecuador and Colombia, their respective home countries.
The military intervention involved the rescue of the survivors from a submersible vessel that was struck on Thursday, marking the sixth such incident since early September.
Trump took to social media to express his satisfaction with the operation, stating, “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.” He added that U.S. Intelligence had confirmed the vessel was primarily carrying Fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.
Subsequently, the Pentagon released a brief black-and-white video of the strike on X, showing the vessel moving through the water with its front partially submerged before multiple explosions occurred, including one at the back of the vessel.
The president revealed that two individuals onboard were killed, an increase from the initial report, and the surviving duo will be sent to their home countries for detention and legal proceedings.
With the acknowledgment of the death toll on his Truth Social platform, the total casualties from U.S. military actions against vessels in the region now stand at 29.
Trump has justified these strikes by asserting that the United States is currently engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, citing the legal authority similar to that used during the war on terrorism post-9/11. He considers the suspected traffickers as enemy combatants, justifying the use of lethal force against them.
The decision to repatriate the survivors to their home countries avoids legal complications within the U.S. justice system and potentially circumvents the challenges associated with detaining enemy combatants in the global war on terrorism.
Some legal experts have raised concerns about the legality of Trump’s military actions against suspected drug cartels and covert operations in Venezuela aimed at removing President Nicolas Maduro, suggesting that these actions may push the boundaries of international law.
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Images provided by Getty Images, The Canadian Press and Reuters.
Recent reports suggest that Maduro attempted to negotiate by offering a share of Venezuela’s resources to alleviate pressure from the U.S., including potential plans for his departure, which were rejected by the White House.
The military strikes in the Caribbean have raised concerns among members of Congress, with bipartisan unease and complaints about inadequate information on the operations. Despite this, most Republican senators supported a