US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the two people who survived a U.S. military strike on a suspected drug submarine will be sent to Ecuador and Colombia, their home countries.

The military rescued them after attacking the submersible on Thursday. This marked at least the sixth such strike since early September.

“It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narcotrafficking transit route,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “U.S. Intelligence confirmed this vessel was loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics.”

Video Shows Strike

After Trump’s post, the Pentagon shared a short black-and-white video on X. The clip shows a vessel moving through the waves, its front part barely above water. Explosions hit the submersible, including at least one at the back.

Trump confirmed that two people onboard were killed, one more than previously reported. The two survivors will be sent home “for detention and prosecution.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed that the Colombian man on the so-called “narco submarine” was safely home. “We are glad he is alive, and he will be prosecuted according to the law,” Petro wrote on X.

Ecuador’s government said it had no immediate information on the repatriation of its citizen.

Death Toll and Legal Justification

Trump’s statement raises the death toll from U.S. military action in the region to at least 29 people.

The president has defended the strikes, claiming the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. He relies on the same legal authority used by George W. Bush after September 11, which allows capturing, detaining, and using lethal force against enemies. Trump treats the traffickers as enemy soldiers in a traditional war.

Sending the survivors home avoids questions about their legal status in the U.S. justice system. It also sidesteps some legal issues seen during the global war on terrorism.

Concerns Over International Law

Legal experts warn that using military force against drug cartels, along with covert actions in Venezuela potentially aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro, may stretch international law.

Reports indicate Maduro offered stakes in Venezuela’s oil and mineral resources to ease U.S. pressure. A former Trump official said Maduro proposed leaving office eventually. The White House rejected this plan.

Congressional Reaction

The Caribbean strikes caused unease in Congress. Lawmakers from both parties complained about insufficient information.

Most Republican senators supported a measure last week that would require Congressional approval before further strikes. Another resolution under consideration would prevent Trump from attacking Venezuela without authorization from Congress.