Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat

[rambot]

Right, there is no proof that a dirty bomb was going to literally kill Americans either.

We have a LONG history of evidence that drugs delivered to Americans will cause deaths. How much more do we need?

Not very much actually. Just enough to convict in front of a judge in this case.

Glad to see you can admit that there is no such direct evidence for your claims. Only your own emotional hyperbole.

 

[RDKirk]

Okay, lemme ask you this:
Say I’m on my yacht and (on the “high-seas”) almost get rammed by a cartel frigate and a ton of fentanyl falls into my boat’s hold.
Say the Navy has drug sniffing dolphins who definitely can smell the opioids in my boat, can they blow my craft out of the water?

"Can they?" or "Should they?"

There is no world government agency to prevent the Navy from doing whatever they want with your boat. This isn't a new situation...it was the same when the Navy was dealing with Barbary pirates in the early 1800s. Congress never formally declared war against the Barbary States. Instead, it passed authorizations allowing the President to employ naval and military force. The Barbary Wars were the first use of US military forces overseas...and they were an undeclared conflicts.

 

[essentialsaltes]

4. What Happened in Practice

In May 2020, a Venezuelan navy patrol boat tried to ram a U.S. Coast Guard vessel involved in a drug interdiction operation. The U.S. response was lawful under self-defense and existing counter-narcotics authority.

Your AI is hallucinating.

 

[RDKirk]

This strike was against Maritime Law. The Coast Guard, not the Navy, is supposed to be in charge of interdicting drug traffic on the sea. This murder on international waters is not justified.

There is no overarching international authority legislating and enforcing "Maritine Law." Maritine Law is merely agreement between nations to operate cordially with one another.

There is certainly no "Maritine Law" that requires the US to use the Coast Guard instead of the Navy for any purpose. That's a matter for the US government to determine by internal legislation.

 

[Postvieww]

Except that we did not interdict the boat in question, we blew it up killing everyone aboard.

Wise choice which probably helped save hundreds of lives.

 

[Postvieww]

Your AI is hallucinating.

You are free refute it. Be my guest.

 

[Postvieww]

Constitutional rights apply to everyone.

World wide terrorist?????? I think not!

 

[Desk trauma]

Wise choice which probably helped save hundreds of lives.

Had it been intercepted rather than blown up its cargo would also not have made it to market.

 

[essentialsaltes]

You are free refute it. Be my guest.

'You' made the assertion that "In May 2020, a Venezuelan navy patrol boat tried to ram a U.S. Coast Guard vessel involved in a drug interdiction operation."

Where is your evidence?

 

[NxNW]

Regardless of what someone in the GOP "was screaming," the Constitution does not cover non-US persons outside the borders of the US.

Of course it does, because the Constitution enumerates rights that we all have.

Nazi Germany. Imperialist Japan. Apparently worldwide terrorism.

None of which apply here.

The US Government can declare war on whoever they want, or come up with some other euphemism to direct the military against.

And yet they didn't.

 

[RDKirk]

Of course it does, because the Constitution enumerates rights that we all have.

Wow, your training on the Constitution was certainly woeful. Or you're just being argumentative.

 

[DaisyDay]

There is no overarching international authority legislating and enforcing "Maritine Law." Maritine Law is merely agreement between nations to operate cordially with one another.

An agreement we made.

There is certainly no "Maritine Law" that requires the US to use the Coast Guard instead of the Navy for any purpose. That's a matter for the US government to determine by internal legislation.

That's right, it used to be US policy.

 

[NxNW]

Wow, your training on the Constitution was certainly woeful. Or you're just being argumentative.

No, I'm just starting well-known facts. Obviously, not every country respects these rights.

 

[wing2000]

There is certainly no "Maritine Law" that requires the US to use the Coast Guard instead of the Navy for any purpose. That's a matter for the US government to determine by internal legislation.

When the US Navy conducts drug interdiction missions, they so under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard. I'm pretty sure the Coast Guard has protocols that involves providing an opportunity for the target to comply with their orders.

We don't have the details of this mission (and maybe never will), but it seems missles were used to engage and destroy the boat without following Coast Guard protocols.

 

[Vambram]

Was someone convicted of narco-terrorism?

If you are unaware of the narco cartels and narco terrorists, that is not my problem.

 

[wing2000]

It seems the Yankee armada off Venezuela's coast has prompted Madurdo to deploy 10,000 troops to counter drug trafficking.

CARACAS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Venezuela pledged on Sunday to sharply boost troops in coastal states to tackle drug trafficking - a move that comes after the U.S. ordered the deployment of an additional 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to carry out operations against drug cartels.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/venezuela-boost-troops-tackle-drug-trafficking-us-strengthens-military-caribbean-2025-09-08/

 

[rambot]

I remember the peacetime president mantra and everyone saying they didn't want to be involved in conflicts and wanted people to deal with their own problems.

But thankfully, we have a loophole!

And no Trump critic is at all surprised at the bloodlust we see now.

 

[Vambram]

I remember the peacetime president mantra and everyone saying they didn't want to be involved in conflicts and wanted people to deal with their own problems.

But thankfully, we have a loophole!

And no Trump critic is at all surprised at the bloodlust we see now.

We must stop the flow of illegal drugs killing Americans coming from people that hate us. How is that bloodlust?

 

[wing2000]

Narco terrorists, cartels.

11 people were killed.

Despite Hegseth claiming “We knew exactly who was in that boat,” the U.S. government has not released the name of all 11 individuals on that boat.

 

[DaisyDay]

If you are unaware of the narco cartels and narco terrorists, that is not my problem.

That's a "no" then.

Everyone knows these eleven individuals were engaging in narcoterrorism, so no need for evidence, identification, interdiction, trial or such liberal nonsense!