Ecuador, has released an Ecuadorian man who survived a U.S. military strike, on a submersible vessel, accused by Washington of transporting narcotics in the Caribbean. Prosecutors said there was no evidence he had violated any national laws, according to a government official who spoke to the Associated Press on Monday.
The man, identified as Andrés Fernando Tufiño, was repatriated over the weekend and later cleared of wrongdoing after medical evaluations confirmed he was in good health. A government document obtained by AP stated that “there is no evidence or indication” to justify criminal charges against Tufiño.
The U.S. military attacked and destroyed the submersible last Thursday, alleging it was carrying “mostly fentanyl and other illegal drugs,” President Donald Trump said on social media. Two people were killed in the strike, while Tufiño and another survivor, a Colombian citizen, were rescued by U.S. personnel.
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The Colombian survivor, who remains hospitalised in his home country, will face prosecution for alleged drug trafficking, Colombian authorities confirmed. Officials said he sustained serious injuries during the attack.
The submersible attack was the sixth such U.S. strike since September, with a seventh reported on Friday. Combined, these operations have killed at least 32 people, fuelling diplomatic tension across Latin America.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the repeated U.S. strikes, accusing Trump of authorising “extrajudicial killings” after a Colombian citizen died in a similar attack last month. Trump responded on Sunday by calling Petro “an illegal drug leader” deepening a war of words between Bogotá and Washington.
In response, Colombia recalled its ambassador to the United States on Monday, citing the escalating dispute.
Ecuador’s conservative president, Daniel Noboa, took a different stance, defending Washington’s operations and urging regional cooperation. “President Trump, Ecuador remains firm in the global fight against drug trafficking,” Noboa said in a message posted on X. He added that the struggle “requires unity among nations committed to peace and prosperity.”
The U.S. has justified the strikes under a legal framework similar to the one used after the September 11, 2001 attacks, arguing that the country is engaged in an “armed conflict” against transnational drug cartels. This interpretation allows U.S. forces to use lethal action and detain individuals designated as enemy combatants.
