US strikes narco semi-submersible; survivors repatriated to Colombia, Ecuador

U.S. forces conducted a previously unannounced strike on a semi-submersible vessel in the Caribbean on October 16, 2025, killing two people and leaving two survivors. Unlike the September 2 incident, the survivors were taken into U.S. custody. President Trump announced on October 18 that the two survivors would be repatriated to their home countries, Colombia and Ecuador, rather than prosecuted in U.S. federal court. The announcement came as Operation Southern Spear had conducted at least 10 strikes total through mid-October.