By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The U.S. military, under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, conducted a recent strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing six alleged narco-terrorists. This marked at least the third such attack this week, targeting vessels reportedly involved in drug trafficking. The Defense Secretary stated the vessel belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, a designated terrorist organization. The U.S. has conducted ten strikes since September, with President Trump supporting these actions, claiming they save American lives by eliminating drug-carrying boats.
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Pete Hegseth says the U.S. carried out another strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea. It’s hard to know where to even begin with this. The core of the issue, and the gut reaction, is a profound unease. We’re talking about taking human lives, allegedly in the name of stopping something like drug trafficking. But the specifics are shrouded in a fog of “alleged,” “suspected,” and a concerning lack of due process. We’re presented with a situation where a boat is targeted and destroyed, and we’re left with the chilling question: were these people criminals, or were they simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? We’ll never know for sure, and that’s the problem.
Pete Hegseth’s involvement raises a critical point of concern. Those who order these strikes, who make these decisions, are potentially acting outside the bounds of law. This raises fundamental questions about justice, accountability, and the very nature of our nation’s role on the world stage. We must question the premise, the actions, and the individuals behind them. How can we accept a world where individuals can be targeted and killed with such seeming ease and impunity, and then claim it’s all in the name of security?
The immediate question is, did they even have proof? Did the boat fly a flag signaling criminal intent? Did it have a “Trein de Aragua” banner? This entire concept of targeting vessels feels like a throwback to gunboat diplomacy and the days of unchecked power. Instead of intercepting, searching, and arresting, we’re presented with an act of destruction. A swift, final, and irreversible act. The fact that the U.S. seems to have moved away from boarding and searching and now seems to favor blowing up boats is a serious regression.
This situation has ignited valid outrage. How can we have a situation where people are killed extrajudicially? What kind of message does it send to the world when the U.S. seems to be condoning or normalizing violence, even against suspected criminals, before it may be used against innocent civilians? It feels like we are descending into a dark place, where the lines between justice and vengeance are blurred beyond recognition. The potential for abuse is frighteningly clear. It’s a dangerous path.
The argument that this is being done to stop drug trafficking falls flat when the reports of successful seizures and arrests are nowhere to be seen. What about the human cost? What about the potential for innocent lives lost? It’s not a secret that the defense budget is over a trillion dollars a year. Is this the most effective use of our resources? Is the war on drugs really worth more acts of war?
Another layer of the problem is the erosion of faith in those in power. If we are to assume that a Trump-appointed head of agency is lying, we are in deep trouble. The lack of transparency and the casual use of the word “alleged” in these situations is a red flag, as it makes it nearly impossible to hold anyone accountable. Then the Supreme Court ruling that the president has absolute immunity for actions involving “core constitutional powers” is what we may call the icing on the cake, but not in a good way. The situation is dire, especially when it comes to the safety of our country, and the safety of our democracy.
There is a sentiment of being the “baddies.” The idea of the U.S. as a force for good, a nation that defends the weak and upholds human rights, is being challenged. How can we claim to stand for justice when we are openly, unequivocally, murdering people? It is understandable that people can feel that the world is upside down when they see this. We are questioning our values and wondering if the America we are so proud of still exists. The hope is that the individuals who have committed war crimes will be held accountable, possibly even at the International Criminal Court. This kind of accountability is the very least that can be expected.
There is also a worry that the actions are being taken to deter illegal immigrants. Are the deaths of these people worth it? It is like we are going to war against some people we don’t like. People are simply losing their lives.