The murders are stacking up

Written by

Ophelia Benson

in

What ever happened to due process?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military has carried out three strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean against boats accused of carrying drugs, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor.

This was the first time multiple strikes were announced in a single day. Carried out Monday, the strikes mark a continued escalation in the pace of the attacks in South American waters, which began in early September and had been spaced weeks apart.

…

Hegseth said “the four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics.”

The Trump administration has shown no evidence to support its claims about the boats, their connection to drug cartels, or the even the identity of the people killed in these strikes.

The death toll from the 13 disclosed strikes since early September now stands at at least 57 people.

Never forget: Trump is the guy who campaigned for the execution of the Central Park Five, who didn’t do it. Trump believes in execution first and questions later.

Comments

11 responses to “The murders are stacking up”

  1. iknklast Avatar
    iknklast

    Trump believes in execution first and questions later.

    Especially if they are non-white.

  2. Sumi Avatar
    Sumi

    These ongoing murders don’t leave much confidence that US military commanders will refuse illegal orders. One admiral chose to resign and protect his pension. His replacement can’t even muster that low level of courage. And so it goes, as those with some scruples are replaced by those with none.

  3. Ophelia Benson Avatar
    Ophelia Benson

    Indeed. It’s terrifying as well as disgusting.

  4. Your Name's not Bruce? Avatar
    Your Name’s not Bruce?

    … transiting along known narco-trafficking routes…

    So alleged drug smugglers have their own designated lanes, marked off for their exclusive use? Or is it just open season on particular stretches of water, and anyone travelling through them is considered fair game? Guilt by compass heading?

  5. Mike Haubrich Avatar
    Mike Haubrich

    I suspect that the endgame is to provoke Venezuela into retaliating militarily, so that Congress will declare war and we can get CITGO back under our control. It’s the oil.

    I do not know why they are going after Colombian boats, though.

  6. Colin Day Avatar
    Colin Day

    against boats accused of carrying drugs

    Who is accusing the boats?

  7. iknklast Avatar
    iknklast

    Colin, didn’t you know? The boats are the ones actually carrying the drugs; the humans are just reasonable collateral damage!

  8. Dave Ricks Avatar
    Dave Ricks

    The boats targeted off the US west coast might have been semisubmersibles, as a way to move drugs directly from Mexico to the US. Also, as I recall, the US east coat might get semisubmersibles, as a way to transfer drugs from boats offshore to the southern Texas barrier island of South Padre Island. In either case, I feel confident that any semisubmersibles would be drug running boats. They look like death traps that make no sense for anything else. But I am writing this from memory, without links to explain, and I am not justifying the extrajudicial killing.

  9. Bjarte Foshaug Avatar
    Bjarte Foshaug

    Mike Haubrich #5

    It’s the oil.

    It could very well be more sinister than that. E.g. Anne Applebaum has suggested that it might be a deliberate attempt to create an emergency to justify a further power grab with the ultimate goal of canceling or stealing the 2026 election. The fact that Trump and his cronies don’t seem the least bit worried about breaking every law in the book in plain sight a thousand times every day suggests that they don’t expect to be out of power any time soon.

  10. John the Drunkard Avatar
    John the Drunkard

    #8

    The news reports have been accompanied by images. These seem to be quite ordinary boats. And the number of people killed seems mighty large for semi-submarines. Those would have the bare minimum aboard to keep space for cargo and reduce the need for supplies.

  11. Tim Harris Avatar
    Tim Harris

    There may be questions afterwards, but I very much doubt that there will be answers.

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