- The US military has killed at least 133 people in 39 boat attacks in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in the past 6 months, with the latest strike killing 3 people on Friday, according to a New York Times tracker.
- The attacks have been widely criticized by human rights advocates, including the Washington Office on Latin America, which argues that the strikes are "illegal, extrajudicial killings" that deny victims due process, with former Air Force lawyer Michael Schmitt stating, "I can't imagine anyone believing it is appropriate to kill people who are clinging to a boat in the water."
- The US Southern Command has posted videos of the strikes on social media, including an 11-second video of the Friday strike, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump facing accusations of asserting an "unlimited license to kill" people deemed terrorists, despite lacking evidence and violating international law.
JUSTICE MATTERS
The New York Times and Mother Jones cover the same story with differing framings, as seen in the New York Times' use of the phrase "suspected drug smuggling boats" and Mother Jones' description of the strikes as "extrajudicial killings". The New York Times' reporting tends to focus on the US military's stated goals and intelligence, whereas Mother Jones centers the voices of human rights advocacy organizations, such as the Washington Office on Latin America, which highlights the denial of due process to those killed. This difference in framing obscures the systemic context of the US military's actions and the broader implications of these strikes, with the New York Times quoting the US Southern Command's claim that the boat was engaged in "narco-trafficking operations" without questioning the evidence, while Mother Jones quotes a former Air Force lawyer stating that killing people clinging to a boat in the water is "clearly unlawful".
Cross-referenced with: New York Times
EPSTEIN FILES NOTE
Donald Trump appeared in flight logs, black book, emails, and photos released by the DOJ.
