US military repatriates two semi-submersible strike survivors to Colombia and Ecuador

Two survivors of the October 16, 2025 narco semi-submersible strike were repatriated to their home countries of Colombia and Ecuador on approximately October 18, 2025 following their rescue by a US helicopter crew. The repatriation contrasted sharply with the September 2 incident in which SOCOM conducted a follow-up strike killing two survivors on a life raft. Pentagon officials cited the October repatriation as evidence that SOCOM had revised its approach to handling survivors following the September controversy and congressional pressure.