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
Nov 04 Trump administration announces 16th deadly strike on an alleged drug boat By Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press The attack Tuesday killed two people aboard the vessel, Hegseth said, bringing the death toll from the Trump administration's campaign in South American waters up to at least 66 people in at least 16 strikes. Continue reading
Oct 31 UN human rights chief: U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats 'unacceptable' By Associated Press The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk called for an investigation into the strikes, in what appeared to mark the first such condemnation of its kind from a United Nations organization. Continue reading
Oct 30 WATCH: Warner criticizes Trump administration's exclusion of Democrats from boat strikes briefing By Mary Clare Jalonick, Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press The Trump administration’s increasing efforts to exclude Democrats from national security briefings could endanger troops and keep important information from the public, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee warned Thursday. Continue reading
Oct 28 U.S. launches strikes on 4 alleged drug-running boats in the eastern Pacific, killing 14 By Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military has carried out strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean on four boats accused of carrying drugs, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor in the deadliest single day since the… Continue reading