The US military strikes an alleged drug trafficking boat
Was the US right to strike a Venezuelan boat allegedly trafficking illegal drugs? Viewpoints from multiple sides.
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Quick announcement
Before we get into this week’s edition, we want to acknowledge the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Kirk was a polarizing figure, but whether you vehemently agreed or disagreed with his political beliefs, his murder is tragic and disturbing. It also represents the dangerous erosion of our commitment to resolving differences through dialogue rather than violence.
In moments like these, the principles that have sustained American democracy for nearly 250 years become more essential than ever: free speech, open debate, and our ability to engage across ideological divides. Violence has no place in our political discourse, and it threatens the very foundation of democratic society.
This tragedy reinforces why the work of organizations like Framechange – and your engagement with thoughtful, open, and rigorous discussion – matters more than ever. We're grateful for your support and encourage you to continue fostering understanding and empathy in your own communities.
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Snippets
Israel carried out an airstrike in Qatar's capital, Doha, targeting senior Hamas officials who were reportedly meeting to discuss a US-backed ceasefire proposal. Qatar has served as a mediator in Gaza cease-fire negotiations alongside the United States. According to Hamas, the strike killed five of its members but did not eliminate any senior leadership, while a Qatari official was also reportedly killed.
NATO announced new efforts to bolster air defenses on its Eastern Flank after 19 Russian drones – at least 3 of which were shot down – entered Poland’s airspace during an attack on Ukraine, the first military engagement between NATO and Russia since the start of the war. NATO is investigating whether the airspace incursion was intentional.
Authorities have arrested the individual suspected of shooting and killing 31-year-old Charlie Kirk – the co-founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative voice – at an event at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s death has prompted widespread calls against political violence from voices on the right and left.
Anti-government protests erupted across France the same day that Sébastien Lecornu was sworn in as the country's new prime minister, France's fifth prime minister in less than two years. The "Block Everything" movement had staged the demonstrations prior to Lecornu’s inauguration to oppose proposed budget cuts and express frustration with France's political establishment.
Nepal’s prime minister resigned after at least 22 people were killed and hundreds more injured during youth-led protests sparked by a government ban on social media platforms and widespread allegations of corruption.
What’s happening
Two weeks ago, President Trump ordered the US military to perform a lethal airstrike on a boat that was allegedly operated by members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) cartel and trafficking illegal drugs to the US. The strike hit the boat in international waters in the Caribbean Sea and, according to Trump, killed 11 individuals. In his announcement of the strike, Trump labeled the boat operators as “terrorists” and stated, “[p]lease let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”
Information has been unclear on the exact intended destination of the boat. Following the strike, Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially said that the boat was headed to Trinidad, then said the following day that it was headed to the US. It was also reported that the boat may have turned around after it spotted a military aircraft and was headed back to Venezuela when it was struck.
Trump’s fight against Venezuelan cartels: The boat strike is the latest in Trump’s escalation of pressure on cartels. In Jan 2025, Trump ordered that certain international drug cartels, including TdA, be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). According to Trump, “[i]nternational cartels constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime,” and cartels have “not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs.” In Feb 2025 the State Department added TdA to the FTO list.
In Aug 2025, it was reported that Trump signed a directive enabling the Pentagon to use military force against cartels. That same month, the State Department doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to $50M. The State Department said that Maduro was a cartel leader who illegitimately took the Venezuelan presidency in 2024 and was stifling democracy in the country.
Over the past month, Trump has deployed US Navy warships, submarines and F-35 fighter jets to the Caribbean for potential targeting of drug traffickers and cartels in the region. Following the strike, Trump said in a letter to the Senate that US forces would be prepared to carry out more military operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth similarly indicated that military action “won’t stop” targeting “narco-terrorists.”
Venezuela’s response: Venezuela was swift to condemn the boat strike. Venezuela’s interior minister said this week that none of the 11 people killed on board were drug traffickers nor members of TdA. Maduro called the US deployment in the Caribbean as “unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal.” Two days following the US strike, two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over a US Navy destroyer, prompting the Pentagon to issue a public warning to Venezuela.
Debate has intensified around the legality and prudence of the US military strike on the boat. Today, we bring you the viewpoints from multiple sides. Let us know what you think.
Notable viewpoints
More opposed to the boat strike:
The strike targeted civilians without justifiable evidence and were illegal.
There is no evidence that the boat was carrying drugs, and even if it was, drug trafficking does not carry punishment by death penalty. Moreover, any punishment should have to be carried out through legal processes and the courts. President Trump does not have the authority to assassinate suspected drug traffickers.
There are a number of significant legal concerns regarding Trump’s ordered strike. It is not clear how the boat and its passengers were legal military targets or combatants partaking in hostilities – they were, rather, likely civilians. Targeting civilians with military strikes violates the Law of War, the US War Crimes Act, and the right to life in human rights law.
“US officials admit they could have interdicted the boat and detained the people on board. They did not pose any imminent threat of violence, and they were not combatants in any war against the US. Calling them "narco-terrorists" does not change these obvious facts… It is not illegal for people on a ship in international waters to transport drugs that are banned in the United States… Perhaps, though I am skeptical, evidence will emerge to prove that the people killed in the strike were planning a dangerous terrorist attack, or the like. Otherwise, the president committed an utterly indefensible and criminal act here.” (Ilya Somin, Reason.)
The strike set a dangerous precedent for the use of US military force that may lead to more conflicts domestically and abroad.
By attacking suspected drug traffickers in international waters, Trump is pulling the US military into crime fighting, which has traditionally been outside of the military’s scope. Trump’s actions violate a foundational American principle that the military should not be used for domestic law enforcement, and set a dangerous precedent for the further militarization of law enforcement.
It is mortifying that Trump used alleged drug trafficking as grounds for military strikes to execute 11 people. Moreover, by redefining drug trafficking as terrorism, Trump may drag the US military into more foreign conflicts under similar pretenses.
More supportive of the boat strike:
The strike eliminated a threat to the US and was in the country’s best interest.
“The President of the United States has determined that narco-terrorist organizations pose a threat to the national security of the United States… They are traffickers of people, they are traffickers of deadly drugs, and they are traffickers of all kinds of illicit means, and they use the money that they generate to destabilize governments in the region, which in and of itself then poses a threat to the United States… If you’re on a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl or whatever headed to the United States, you’re an immediate threat to the United States. And the President, under his authority as Commander-in-Chief, has a right under exigent circumstances to eliminate imminent threats to the United States.” (Secretary of State Marco Rubio.)
Trump acted consistently with the US founders’ vision – it is necessary at times for the president to flex the US’s muscle to dissuade bad actors from threatening the country. Trump ordered the strike against the drug smuggling boat to send a message: do not bring drugs into the US.
The Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang – who spread violence throughout the region and illicit drugs across American streets – effectively operate as pirates on the open seas and are “enemies of all mankind,” affording them no due process protections under the customs of international law. Their existence justifies the lethal use of force in self-defense, and Trump should expand the use of force against similar threats in the name of US national security.
The strike will weaken and deter Venezuelan cartels, which threaten democracy in the region.
The US is right to fight the narco-trafficking that generates income to support Maduro’s dictatorship and Venezuela’s ability to threaten the peace of its neighbors. It is also important to send a signal of the US’s ability and intent to enforce stability in the region.
Venezuela’s cartels traffic drugs and perform kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, and murder – they are also a tool of Maduro’s dictatorship that repress the Venezuelan population and destabilize democracies in the region. The strike was an effective move to strengthen US national security and disrupt the cartel’s ability to fund Maduro with drug trafficking money.
Be heard
We want to hear from you! Comment below with your perspective on whether the US was right to strike an alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking boat and we may feature it in our socials or future editions. Below are topic ideas to consider.
Do you agree with the US striking an alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking boat? Why or Why not?
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Music on the bottom
I heard an interview recently in which participants discussed the bluegrass tradition of creating upbeat-sounding songs that actually discuss dark material. Hot Rize’s “Shadows In My Room” is a good example.
– Dylan
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