President Donald Trump said two survivors from a U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling submarine in the Caribbean are being returned to Ecuador and Colombia for detention and prosecution. He said U.S. intelligence indicated the vessel carried fentanyl and other illegal narcotics, calling it the sixth such strike since summer as operations expanded to curb trafficking. Repatriation sidesteps a potential court fight over his claim the U.S. is in an "armed conflict" with cartels, a rationale some legal experts question. Sending the survivors abroad keeps the matter out of U.S. courts.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.