‘Will not tolerate narcoterrorists’: US to return two captured drug smugglers to home countries after Caribbean submarine strike

The Trump administration announced on Saturday that two survivors from a drug-smuggling submarine destroyed in the Caribbean will be sent back to their home countries, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution. Two others were killed during the strike.US President Donald Trump confirmed the action on Truth Social, saying, “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. U.S. Intelligence confirmed this vessel was loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics. There were four known narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two of the terrorists were killed. At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore. The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”The strike took place on Thursday following a series of attacks on vessels suspected of carrying drugs. The semi-submersible submarine was intercepted after multiple previous strikes involving speedboats had killed 27 people. US Navy officials rescued the two survivors and detained them aboard a warship in international waters, marking the first time the military has held prisoners as part of Trump’s campaign against suspected drug traffickers.Trump described the attack during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding, “We attacked a submarine and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs. Just so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people. I don’t know too many people that have submarines.”Since early September, the Trump administration has increased military operations in the Caribbean targeting drug smugglers.