On Thursday, October 16, 2025, the United States military struck a suspected drug-carrying submersible vessel in the Caribbean, marking the sixth such attack since early September, according to multiple sources including the Associated Press and CNN. The vessel, described by officials as a “drug-carrying submarine,” was intercepted while navigating a well-known narcotrafficking transit route toward the United States. U.S. intelligence confirmed that the vessel was loaded with mostly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics, as President Donald Trump announced in a series of social media posts.
The strike resulted in the deaths of two individuals on board—one more than had been previously reported—and the rescue and detention of two survivors. President Trump declared on Saturday, October 18, 2025, that the two survivors would be returned to their home countries, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution. “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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He added, “The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed the return of the Colombian survivor on Saturday evening, posting on X, “We received the Colombian detained in the narco submarine. We are glad that he is alive and he will be processed in accordance with the laws.” Meanwhile, Ecuador’s Ministry of the Interior also acknowledged receipt of the Ecuadorian survivor, stating that the individual was undergoing medical evaluation and that “the corresponding legal process will follow,” according to CNN. Details on the survivors’ identities have not been released, and both governments indicated that further legal proceedings would proceed according to their respective national laws.
Video footage of the strike, released by the Pentagon on X, showed the vessel moving through the waves, its front portion submerged just below the water’s surface. The clip captured several explosions, including one over the back of the vessel, underscoring the intensity of the military operation. The U.S. military detained the survivors after the strike, marking the first time that the Trump administration’s campaign targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean has resulted in the U.S. holding prisoners, as reported by CNN. The administration’s previous strikes had resulted in fatalities but not detentions.
With Trump’s confirmation of the death toll, U.S. military action against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the region has now killed at least 29 people as of October 18, 2025. The president has repeatedly justified these strikes by asserting that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. He has relied on the same legal authority used by the George W. Bush administration in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, invoking the ability to capture and detain combatants and to use lethal force against their leadership. “Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea,” Trump stated in his Truth Social post.
The administration’s approach has not been without controversy. Legal scholars and lawmakers from both parties have raised questions about the legal and policy basis for the strikes and the detention of survivors. Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer specializing in war powers issues, told CNN that the administration’s actions have set up a “legally dubious situation.” Historically, those involved in drug trafficking have been treated as criminals entitled to due process rights, with the U.S. Coast Guard typically interdicting drug-trafficking vessels and arresting smugglers for prosecution in U.S. courts. The Trump administration, however, has argued that the president possesses broad authority under Article II of the Constitution to conduct strikes against what it calls “narco-terrorists.”
Congress, which holds the constitutional power to declare war under Article I, has not authorized an armed conflict against drug traffickers. Recent measures considered in Congress have sought to require the administration to obtain approval before conducting further strikes or to prevent outright military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization. Despite some bipartisan unease and complaints about insufficient information, most Republican senators recently supported the administration on a measure addressing the conduct of these strikes.
The decision to repatriate the survivors avoids immediate legal complications for the Trump administration regarding their status within the U.S. justice system. As reported by the Associated Press, this move sidesteps some of the thorny legal issues that arose from the detention of enemy combatants during the global war on terrorism, as well as potential constitutional challenges to the current operation. The Associated Press noted that the repatriation “avoids questions for the Trump administration about what the legal status of the two would have been in the U.S. justice system.”
The strikes in the Caribbean are part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and to increase pressure on Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro. U.S. officials have claimed that Maduro has recently offered stakes in Venezuela’s oil and mineral wealth in an effort to stave off mounting pressure from the United States, though the White House has rejected related proposals, according to the Associated Press. The administration’s actions have included not only military strikes but also the deployment of significant military assets to the region, with promises of further action against alleged drug boats.
The classified legal opinion produced by the administration reportedly justifies lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, CNN reported. This approach has prompted widespread debate over the boundaries of international law and the proper role of military force in combating transnational crime. Some legal experts argue that treating suspected traffickers as enemy soldiers in a traditional war stretches the definition of armed conflict and raises serious questions about due process, sovereignty, and international norms.
As the situation continues to evolve, the Trump administration’s campaign in the Caribbean remains under scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts, and human rights advocates alike. The fate of the two survivors—now back in Ecuador and Colombia—will be closely watched as their legal proceedings unfold in their respective countries. The broader implications of the U.S. military’s expanded role in counter-narcotics operations, and the legal precedents being set, are likely to fuel debate in Washington and beyond for months to come.
The events of the past week have highlighted not only the dangers of international drug trafficking but also the complex legal and political questions that arise when military force is used far from the battlefield. With at least 29 lives lost in these operations so far, the world will be watching to see how the United States and its partners navigate the uncertain waters ahead.
