Two days ago, the U.S. carried out the sixth known military strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean. Two men on the submarine survived the attack and were detained by the military. Today, the Trump administration released them back to their home countries.
Trump claimed those aboard the submarine were narcoterrorists whose fentanyl would have killed at least 25,000 Americans if they reached the country. It’s unclear why the U.S. would not hold, charge, and prosecute them, unless there isn’t proof that they are criminals or a threat to Americans.
At the time of this post, the Pentagon has failed to provide evidence that they’re killing criminals rather than civilians (Example 1, Example 2). In either case, the U.S. does not have the legal authority to execute drug traffickers without due process, and Congress has not authorized armed conflict against drug traffickers.
One survivor, Andrés Fernando Tufiño, returned to Ecuador. Officials initially gave only vague details about his condition and did not identity him.
Just a few days later, Tufiño was released by Ecuadorean authorities who said they hadn’t received a report of any crime committed or any evidence, despite Trump’s claim that the submarine was carrying illegal drugs, mostly fentanyl. Fentanyl in the U.S. is almost always traced back to Mexico, not countries surrounding the Pentagon’s strikes.
The second survivor, 34-year-old Jeison Perez, arrived in Colombia “with brain trauma, sedated, drugged, breathing with a ventilator,” according to Colombian officials. The country is pursuing a drug trafficking case against Perez based on U.S. allegations that the targeted vessel was “full of cocaine.”
