Dec 02 Watch 4:43 Trump and Hegseth distance themselves from follow-on strike on suspected drug boat By Nick Schifrin, Sonia Kopelev The first attack in the Trump administration’s campaign in the Caribbean has become the most contentious. A U.S. official tells PBS News the military struck an alleged drug boat four times on September 2. President Trump and Pete Hegseth defended… Continue watching
Dec 02 Sabrina Carpenter, Franklin the Turtle publisher condemn the Trump administration’s use of their work on social media By Fatima Hussein, Associated Press Carpenter tweeted Tuesday: “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”… Continue reading
Dec 02 WATCH: Hegseth says he ‘didn’t stick around’ after giving order for 1st boat strike on Sept. 2 By Steff Staples Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he learned about the second strike on an alleged drug boat on Sept. 2 hours after giving the order for the first strike. Continue reading
Dec 02 WATCH: Trump defends boat strikes, attacks Somali immigrants in final Cabinet meeting of the year By Will Weissert, Michelle L. Price, Associated Press The president started things off by noting that it was the last time his Cabinet would gather until 2026. The sleepy, and occasionally slipshod, gathering ended with a flurry of news. Continue reading
Dec 01 What the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike, according to experts By Ben Finley, Associated Press Leveling a second strike on the survivors of an initial attack on an alleged drug boat would have been a crime, legal experts say. Continue reading
Dec 01 WATCH: White House insists alleged drug boat attack was lawful, confirms second strike By Aamer Madhani, Associated Press White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a justification for the Sept. 2 strike after lawmakers from both parties on Sunday announced support for congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea… Continue reading
Nov 30 Lawmakers voice bipartisan support for congressional reviews of Trump’s boat strikes By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, citing a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for… Continue reading
Nov 25 Top U.S. military officials will visit Caribbean leaders as Trump weighs next steps By Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and meet Wednesday with the country’s top leaders, the Pentagon said Tuesday. Continue reading
Nov 10 U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats kill 6 in the eastern Pacific By Associated Press The dual strikes on Sunday bring the total number of known attacks up to 19 and the death toll to at least 75 people since the Trump administration launched a campaign against drug trafficking in South American waters that many… Continue reading
Nov 07 Trump has accused boat strike targets of being narco-terrorists. The truth is more nuanced, AP investigation finds By Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press In dozens of interviews in villages on Venezuela’s breathtaking northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang. Continue reading