The United States has carried out its eighth military strike on a vessel suspected of carrying illicit drugs across international waters, killing two people. The target was located in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in these operations.
The Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, stating that at President Trump's direction, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization and involved in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. Two narco-terrorists were on board during the attack, both of whom were killed.
Critics have questioned this strategy, arguing that most drug trafficking occurs through overland routes and official ports of entry, particularly along the southern border. Human rights experts also point out that the attacks likely violated US and international law, prohibiting extrajudicial killings outside of combat.
Labeling someone a "terrorist" is not legally sufficient to justify such an attack, and the Trump administration has yet to provide evidence of wrongdoing in any of the eight cases of boats being bombed. United Nations experts have denounced the bombing campaign as a breach of the UN Charter, stating that it amounts to extrajudicial execution.
The use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis violates the international law of the sea and is not considered an act of self-defence. The administration has argued that drug traffickers are enemy combatants, equivalent to armed groups like al-Qaeda, but experts have countered that this stretch beyond the original meaning of the term.
The bombing campaign has heightened tensions with South American leaders, particularly Colombia's President Gustavo Petro and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. Both countries have increased their military presence along the Caribbean Sea since the beginning of the campaign.
Trump has accused Maduro and Petro of allowing illicit drugs to flow out of their countries, warning that he will take "very serious action" against them if they fail to act. However, intelligence reports from the US government contradict this claim, stating there is no evidence that Maduro is directing the Tren de Aragua gang.
The bombing campaign has resulted in 34 confirmed deaths so far and has been described as a "death trap" by Petro, who has vowed to sue Trump and his officials for slander. The administration's actions have sparked debate about the limits and legality of its actions, with many questioning whether it has overstepped its authority.
The Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, stating that at President Trump's direction, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization and involved in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. Two narco-terrorists were on board during the attack, both of whom were killed.
Critics have questioned this strategy, arguing that most drug trafficking occurs through overland routes and official ports of entry, particularly along the southern border. Human rights experts also point out that the attacks likely violated US and international law, prohibiting extrajudicial killings outside of combat.
Labeling someone a "terrorist" is not legally sufficient to justify such an attack, and the Trump administration has yet to provide evidence of wrongdoing in any of the eight cases of boats being bombed. United Nations experts have denounced the bombing campaign as a breach of the UN Charter, stating that it amounts to extrajudicial execution.
The use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis violates the international law of the sea and is not considered an act of self-defence. The administration has argued that drug traffickers are enemy combatants, equivalent to armed groups like al-Qaeda, but experts have countered that this stretch beyond the original meaning of the term.
The bombing campaign has heightened tensions with South American leaders, particularly Colombia's President Gustavo Petro and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. Both countries have increased their military presence along the Caribbean Sea since the beginning of the campaign.
Trump has accused Maduro and Petro of allowing illicit drugs to flow out of their countries, warning that he will take "very serious action" against them if they fail to act. However, intelligence reports from the US government contradict this claim, stating there is no evidence that Maduro is directing the Tren de Aragua gang.
The bombing campaign has resulted in 34 confirmed deaths so far and has been described as a "death trap" by Petro, who has vowed to sue Trump and his officials for slander. The administration's actions have sparked debate about the limits and legality of its actions, with many questioning whether it has overstepped its authority.
This whole situation is super shady. I mean, have you seen the way they're just bombing boats in international waters without even giving the people on board a chance to defend themselves? It's like, what even is the logic behind that? And labeling someone a "terrorist" isn't enough to justify this kind of attack. It's not like they've got concrete evidence or anything... 
It's all just a big mess. And what's up with the UN experts saying it's a breach of the UN Charter? 
Not exactly a genius solution to a decades-long problem. They should focus on intercepting boats instead of nuking them. This whole thing smells like a wild goose chase.
. Like, I get that narco-trafficking is a big deal, but can't we try to tackle this problem through more diplomatic means? We're already dealing with some major human rights issues on our southern border, and now we're just gonna bomb boats in the Pacific? 
. These strikes have already caused some major tension, and now we're threatening to take action against Maduro and Petro? That's just gonna lead to more problems down the line. Can't we just work together with these countries instead of trying to strong-arm them into compliance? We need to think about how our actions are affecting people on the ground, not just in Washington 
. i'm so worried about those colombian and venezuelan leaders, they're already dealing with so much drama back home, do they really need this too? it's like they're trying to make a bigger mess than they already have.
two people killed in a strike that might not even be sanctioned by the law 
instead of addressing the root cause of the problem we're just chasing after shadows 
. We should be focusing on building bridges and finding solutions, not dropping bombs on ships in the middle of nowhere. The UN Charter is clear - we need to respect international law and work with our global partners to tackle these issues, not just resort to brute force. It's time for some real leadership here 
.
the US is basically just dropping bombs on random ships in international waters without even asking permission 
it's all just a big mess 
plus, labeling someone a terrorist doesn't automatically make them fair game for an airstrike 
. We need concrete evidence and due process before we're talking about taking lives.
. We need better thinking here 
.
. I wish someone would just explain it to me in a way that makes sense...
The administration needs to stop playing both sides and be honest about what they're really after. And by the way, labeling someone a terrorist doesn't automatically make them an enemy combatant 
.
. It's time for some real answers and not just empty threats 
.
? No, instead we got the US military dropping bombs left and right in international waters without so much as a by-your-leave. And what's with all these "terrorist" labels being thrown around? It sounds like they're just trying to cover their own tracks 
. And now South American leaders are having none of it, which I can kind of understand... 
That's not even close to the definition of terrorism. This whole thing feels like a big game of "blow stuff up and blame someone else". Newsflash: it doesn't work that way, guys