The U.S. military conducted its 20th strike on a boat suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in four fatalities and raising the total death toll from these operations to 80 since September. The U.S. Southern Command confirmed the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling. Simultaneously, the Trump administration is expanding its military presence in the region with the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, solidifying its ongoing mission, Operation Southern Spear. While the administration claims the buildup is focused on stopping drug flow, concerns arise, with some suggesting this is an intimidation tactic against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces accusations of narcoterrorism.
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Senator Rand Paul has criticized the Trump administration’s military actions against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea, calling them “extrajudicial killings.” According to Paul, no evidence has been presented to Congress to justify these military operations, and he asserts that Congress must authorize any war. Paul highlighted that the government has not presented any information regarding the identities, evidence, or if the people aboard the vessels were armed. He compared the lack of due process to practices of nations like China and Iran, where drug dealers are summarily executed without evidence.
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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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Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the US of “murder” and violating Colombian sovereignty after a US strike on a boat in Colombian waters, resulting in the death of a fisherman. The incident, which occurred in September, allegedly involved a boat that was adrift with a distress signal up due to engine failure. Petro has demanded explanations from the US government, while former US President Donald Trump claims the strikes target drug-carrying vessels. This attack is at least the sixth US strike on ships in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks, drawing criticism from UN human rights experts who have labeled the attacks “extrajudicial executions”.
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivered a harsh condemnation of President Donald Trump during his UN address, comparing him to Hitler and calling for criminal charges regarding recent lethal boat strikes. Petro criticized the U.S. for targeting boats in the Caribbean Sea, claiming they were carrying vulnerable individuals fleeing poverty, and questioned the legality of the strikes, which have resulted in multiple fatalities. Trump, in his own address, defended the strikes as part of a campaign against “narco-terrorists.” This escalating conflict between the two leaders includes Trump’s past actions, such as deporting illegal immigrants to Colombia, which further strained relations.
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John Q. Hosedrinker