US releasing survivors of Caribbean drug boat strike to their home countries
By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, CNN
(CNN) — The US is releasing the two survivors of Thursday’s military strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia, President Donald Trump said Saturday.
Trump said it was his “great honor” to destroy a drug-carrying submarine with “four known narcoterrorists on board,” two of whom 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,” he posted on Truth Social. “Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea.”
CNN reported earlier Saturday that the US was considering releasing the survivors to their home countries. Administration officials were scrambling to determine what to do with the individuals, the first known survivors of the six US military strikes carried out in the Caribbean since September.
The US military detained the survivors after the strike Thursday, marking the first time the Trump administration’s campaign targeting drug traffickers has resulted in the US holding prisoners.
Thursday’s strike was the sixth known strike on a boat allegedly involved in drug trafficking. It came as the US has deployed scores of military assets to the Caribbean as promises further strikes on alleged drug boats, part of the administration’s effort to drive down drug flow into the US and pressure Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian president.
The situation was potentially going to set up a legal and policy dilemma for the administration because it was unclear under what legal authority the US military can hold the prisoners, Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in war powers issues, previously told CNN.
One of the sources told CNN the legally dubious situation is why the administration was considering releasing the individuals from US military custody.
The situation comes as legality of the Trump administration’s operations in the Caribbean has been widely questioned.
The administration has produced a classified legal opinion that justifies lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, CNN has reported. Historically, however, those involved in drug trafficking were considered criminals with due process rights, with the Coast Guard interdicting drug-trafficking vessels and arresting smugglers.
The Trump administration has also argued that the president has broad authorities under Article II of the Constitution to conduct the strikes against what it claims are “narco-terrorists,” but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have questioned that theory. Congress, which maintains broad authority under Article I of the Constitution to declare war, has not authorized an armed conflict against drug traffickers.
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
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