The survivor of a U.S. strike on a submersible vessel accused by the Trump administration of transporting drugs in the Caribbean was released by authorities in Ecuador after prosecutors said they had no evidence he committed a crime in the South American nation, a government official said Monday.
Axar.az informs the official, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on the matter, told The Associated Press that the Ecuadorian man, identified as Andres Fernando Tufino, was in good health after medical evaluations.
A document from the Ecuadorian government obtained by AP said “there is no evidence or indication that could lead prosecutors or judicial authorities to be certain” of any violation of current laws by Tufino.
The man was repatriated by the United States over the weekend following a U.S. military attack on a submersible vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean. A Colombian citizen also survived the attack and remains hospitalized after being repatriated to that country.
The Colombian government said its survivor “will be prosecuted according to the law” for alleged drug trafficking. It noted that the man was seriously wounded.