Ecuadorian Survivor of US Drug Sub Strike Released Amid Controversy

Wed Oct 22 2025 05:34:25 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Ecuador has released Andrés Fernando Tufiño, the sole survivor of a US military strike on a drug-smuggling submarine. The US actions raise legal questions while heightened tensions surface between nations involved in the anti-drug operations.

The Ecuadorean government has released Andrés Fernando Tufiño, the only survivor of a US strike on a submarine related to drug trafficking. The US alleges the vessel was smuggling narcotics, leading to military operations in the Caribbean aimed at combating drug trade. However, the legality of such strikes is being questioned. Tufiño's release comes after no charges were filed against him. This incident exposes the complexities and tensions between the US, Ecuador, and Colombia in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking.

Ecuador has released the survivor of a US strike on a submarine alleged to have been smuggling drugs in the Caribbean. US military forces captured the Ecuadorean national along with a Colombian citizen after they attacked the submarine the two were on. US President Donald Trump stated they would be returned to their countries for detention and prosecution.

However, the Ecuadorean Attorney General's office announced that the Ecuadorean survivor could not be detained as there was no report of a crime that has been brought to the attention of this institution. The US has been conducting numerous strikes on what it deems drug-smuggling vessels in the region.

Ecuadorean officials identified the survivor of Thursday's strike as Andrés Fernando Tufiño. He and the Colombian man, Jeison Obando Pérez, are the first survivors of the US strikes aimed at curtailing drug trafficking.

According to reports, two other men aboard the semi-submersible were killed during the attack. Since the beginning of September, US military operations have led to at least 32 fatalities in approximately seven strikes targeting drug vessels.

Critics of the strikes question their legality, suggesting they may violate international law, although the Trump administration maintains its actions are against narco-terrorists. The US President remarked about the two survivors, claiming they were involved with a submarine built for transporting drugs.

Tufiño was said to be in good health upon release, with an Ecuadorean government document citing a lack of evidence of any crime. Meanwhile, the Colombian survivor was reported to have suffered severe injuries and required hospitalization.

The US has deployed around 10,000 troops and extensive military resources to the Caribbean region, focusing on vessels purportedly leaving Venezuela, which US officials link to narcotics trafficking.

Despite allegations from Trump against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro regarding drug trafficking, Maduro claims the operations are politically motivated attempts to destabilize his government. The situation remains fraught, with tensions over the US military presence and its implications for regional politics and drug control strategies.