Are Trump’s Lethal Attacks on Drug Boats Legal?

In the past month, the Trump administration has ordered a trio of military attacks against boats suspected to be transporting drugs from South America to the U.S. However, little information has been released about the people who were killed and whether there were actually any drugs aboard. And some Pentagon officials have raised concerns about the legality of these strikes. WSJ national security reporter Vera Bergengruen and legal correspondent Jess Bravin explore how Washington’s approach to combating drug smuggling has changed and the potential pitfalls of these strikes. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Further Reading Trump Orders Pentagon to Deploy Three Warships Against Latin American Drug Cartels Suspected Venezuela Drug Boat Had Turned Around Before U.S. Strike U.S. Strikes Second Alleged Drug Boat From Venezuela, Trump Says Trump Says He Ordered Another Strike on an Alleged Drug Boat Exclusive | Pentagon Lawyers Raise Concerns Over Trump’s Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Trump Invokes Post-9/11 Playbook in Attacks on Drug Cartels Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.