There is no legal justification for Trump’s military strike on an alleged “drug boat” off the coast of Venezuela.

 

 

JEFFREY ST, CLAIR
 

+ Kill 11 people riding somewhere in the Caribbean on a dinghy with an outboard motor, broadcast the kill shot, gloat about it as if you’d sunk a Chinese battleship, then ask your minions to try to come up with a legal basis for the assassinations a couple of days later, if they could (they can’t)…

+ There is no legal justification for Trump’s military strike on an alleged “drug boat” off the coast of Venezuela. The boat, a simple speedboat, posed no threat to the US Navy vessels. The little boat could have easily been interdicted, searched for drugs and its occupants detained if any were found. No proof was offered that it was carrying drugs or was associated with the Tren de Aragua “narco-terrorist organization.” In any event, drug trafficking is not a capital offense, even when it’s been proven. Most countries would consider this an act of terrorism and mass murder under international law. Indeed, such a strike is also prohibited under US law.

+ The Trump Administration didn’t know where the boat was going or why 11 people would be taking up space on a small, open-air craft that was supposed to be packed with illicit drugs. Were they fisherman? Immigrants? Who could believe them? Rubio’s State Department has repeatedly lied about Venezuela and accused immigrants from the country of being Tren de Aragua gang members based solely on tattoos or the fact they’re wearing Air Jordans…

+ Marco Rubio on Tuesday: “These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean.”

+ Trump later on Tuesday: “11 Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists were transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.”

+ On Wednesday, Rubio reversed himself to be in alignment with Trump, saying the boat was headed toward the US:

+ According to the New York Times, “Pentagon officials were still working Wednesday on what legal authority they would tell the public was used to back up the extraordinary strike in international waters.”

+ If, in fact, the boat was traveling to Trinidad as Rubio first alleged (which makes more sense than it traveling the Caribbean 1200 nautical miles to Miami), what possible reason could the US have for striking it? (There is no justification for murdering the crew/passengers.)

+ As Gary Smith pointed out to me, it’s extremely doubtful that the targeted boat was in international waters. Smith estimates that it would have to have been around 400 miles off the coast of Venezuela to be in international waters and, Smith asks, “In which case how would they know its origin?

+ Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “We knew exactly who was in that boat. We know exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented.” So who were they, Pete?