Trump says US will repatriate survivors of ‘submarine’ attack

US Repatriates Survivors of 'Submarine' Attack

In a move seen as part of the administration's ongoing efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, President Donald Trump announced Saturday that two surviving crew members from a US military-destroyed vessel will be sent back to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia.

According to Trump, intelligence confirmed the semi-submersible vessel was carrying fentanyl and other illicit substances on a major drug trafficking route. Two crew members were killed in the strike Thursday, while two others survived and were airlifted by US forces to a nearby Navy warship for medical attention.

The White House has claimed that the operation targeted a "narcoterrorist" vessel built specifically for transporting massive amounts of drugs. However, critics have raised concerns about the legality of such actions, arguing they may exceed accepted wartime authority and risk violating international law.

This development marks at least the sixth US military strike in the Caribbean since September, with Venezuela alleged to be behind some of the attacks. The administration claims this campaign is a decisive blow against drug trafficking but has yet to provide evidence that those killed were involved in smuggling activities.

With Trump's confirmation of the death toll on his Truth Social platform, at least 29 people have lost their lives due to US military operations in the region. Critics are also questioning the president's assertion that the United States is engaged in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, treating suspected traffickers as enemy soldiers in a traditional war.

The move has sparked controversy, with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemning the strikes as a violation of his country's sovereignty and international law. Venezuela has formally requested the UN Security Council to issue a determination that US strikes are illegal and to reaffirm Venezuela's sovereign rights.

this whole thing is super sketchy... like, i get it we wanna take down these narcos but sending back the 2 survivors from ecuador & colombia feels like a weird move . what if they were forced to work on that vessel or something? and honestly who's to say those 2 weren't just innocent civilians caught in the crossfire? it seems to me we're more worried about showing off our military might than actually finding out who's behind these attacks

I mean, can we talk about how complicated this situation is? Like, what even is going on here? The US is attacking these "narcoterrorist" vessels in the Caribbean, but who gets to decide what's a narcoterrorist vessel and what's not? And then there are all these concerns about international law and sovereignty... it's like, where do we even draw the line here?

I'm also kinda curious about why nobody seems to be providing concrete evidence that these people were actually involved in smuggling activities. Is it just a matter of assumption now? And what about all the lives lost so far? 29 people is a lot, you know?

OMG, I'm like super worried about these 2 survivors getting repatriated... But on the flip side, it's kinda awesome that the US is taking action against this narcoterrorist vessel Like, who wouldn't want a safer Caribbean, right? The fact that they're targeting major drug trafficking routes is actually pretty cool, even if it's a bit of a gray area I mean, we all know the risks involved with war and international law, but hey, at least someone's trying to make a difference And yeah, 29 lives lost is no joke, but let's not forget that the US military is doing its part to combat a major global issue

Ugh, what a mess ! Like, I'm all for taking down bad guys, but come on! We're essentially treating these people as enemy combatants without even giving them due process? That's some serious gray area right there . And don't even get me started on the whole "narcoterrorist" vessel thing... sounds like some pretty sketchy intelligence to me . I mean, I guess it's better than just sitting back and letting the cartels run wild, but can we at least try to do this right? Get some solid proof that these people are involved in smuggling activities? Instead of just going on a "narcotics blitz"? It feels like we're just winging it over here .

Ugh I'm getting so worried about all these military operations in the Caribbean They're just going after cartels, but what about the civilians caught in the crossfire? The 2 crew members who survived this attack were lucky to make it out alive... now they're being sent back to Ecuador and Colombia . I'm all for taking down the bad guys, but do we really need to be bombing entire countries into submission? This whole situation is super confusing, and it's hard not to wonder if our actions are making things better or worse in the long run...