The U.S. will send two survivors of Thursday's strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean back to Ecuador and Colombia for detention and prosecution, President Donald Trump said. He claimed the operation destroyed a drug-carrying submarine with four "narcoterrorists," two of whom were killed. The episode, the sixth known strike since September, resulted in the U.S. holding prisoners for the first time in the campaign and sharpened questions about legal authority. Officials had weighed release amid uncertainty over detention, as lawmakers and legal specialists challenge the administration's theory for lethal actions against suspected traffickers.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.