A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus aircraft, identified as LOLA81, conducted a multi-leg flight on October 18th, 2025, from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to Quito, Ecuador, and Bogota, Colombia, before returning to St. Croix. This flight supported the repatriation of two survivors from a strike that occurred on October 16th in the Caribbean. The KC-46A's mission, flight number LOLA81 with tail number 22-46102, included stops in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Quito, Ecuador, where the aircraft was noted by local airport authorities for its purpose. According to a post from [@AeropuertoUIO](https://twitter.com/AeropuertoUIO), the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus landed in Ecuador for the first time to facilitate the deportation of two Ecuadorian and Colombian citizens who survived a U.S. attack against a drug submarine in the Caribbean. One of the individuals involved in the October 16th strike was identified as Alejandro Carranza Medina, a Colombian national. El Colombiano reported on October 19th, 2025, that Colombian President Petro defended Medina, stating he was a fisherman. However, other reports link Medina to a massive weapons theft in 2016. Separately, the U.S. Coast Guard announced on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025, that it had seized over 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since the commencement of Operation Pacific Viper in early August, with an average of over 1,600 pounds interdicted daily. This operation is distinct from the Caribbean strike. Previous reporting from October 19th, 2025, noted social media debate surrounding a photograph of U.S. Marines conducting a deck shoot aboard the USS San Antonio in the Caribbean. The controversy stemmed from the target imagery used during the training exercise, which an X user suggested bore a resemblance to a specific face. The U.S. Marines have previously used similar targets in training exercises, with official statements indicating they are standard training materials.
