A black and white video posted on X showed a boat speeding through the water before being struck by a visible projectile and then bursting into flames. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.” Critics of the
strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness. Part of the argument has been that the fentanyl behind many fatal U.S. drug overdoses is typically trafficked over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India. On Thursday, U.S. lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the very first strike that the military conducted after reports emerged that the U.S. chose to conduct a follow-up strike on survivors of its initial attack. Two men on
the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.
US strike, drug boat, eastern Pacific Ocean, follow-up strike, armed conflict, cartels, fentanyl, lawmakers demand unedited video, Pentagon video, survivors
So they hit them again while they were already surviving? That’s wild.
I don’t buy the “self-defense” thing. If it was already over why keep blasting, unless they just wanted the whole video for PR.
Wait, they’re mad because the Pentagon won’t release unedited footage of the first strike? Like yeah, maybe they’re hiding the fact it was actually a drone malfunction or something. Also fentanyl comes over land, so why are we attacking boats in the ocean like that fixes the problem.
Armed conflict with cartels?? That sounds like forever war talk. And “killing narcoterrorists” is just a headline. I saw the boat video and it looks like the projectile was obvious but I’m sure there’s more context… or less context… who even knows. Congress demanding unedited video just proves nobody trusts anybody anymore.