It’s being reported that President Trump is considering the release and repatriation of the two survivors of the strike on the narcoterrorist submarine.
CNN suggest it’s because of the dubious legal authority in which the military would detain them.
Here’s more:
The Trump administration is considering releasing the two survivors of Thursday’s military strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean to their home countries, two US officials told CNN.
Administration officials were scrambling on Friday and Saturday morning to determine what to do with the individuals, who are the first known survivors of the six US military strikes carried out in the Caribbean since September.
The US military detained the survivors after the strike Thursday, marking the first time the Trump administration’s campaign targeting drug traffickers has resulted in the US holding prisoners.
President Donald Trump did not address the status of the detainees at the White House on Friday, but said, “Just so you understand this was not an innocent group of people.”
The situation was potentially going to set up a legal and policy dilemma for the administration because it was unclear under what legal authority the US military can hold the prisoners, Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in war powers issues, previously told CNN.
One of the sources told CNN the legally dubious situation is why the administration is considering releasing the individuals from US military custody.
The situation comes as legality of the Trump administration’s operations in the Caribbean has been widely questioned.