"Since early September, President Donald Trump has overseen a U.S. military campaign targeting boats accused of smuggling drugs through the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that has now killed more than 100 people, according to a detailed investigation by The New York Times. The operation began Sept. 2, with the U.S. military carrying out airstrikes against vessels the Trump administration says were involved in maritime drug trafficking."
"As Rosenberg and fellow Times reporters Lazaro Gamio and Charlie Savage explained, the use of military force marks a change from prior U.S. drug enforcement policy at sea. In past years, suspected smuggling operations in the Caribbean were typically handled by the Coast Guard, sometimes with Navy assistance, with crews detained and referred for prosecution if drugs were found. Legal scholars who spoke with the Times questioned whether the current approach complies with U.S. and international law."
Since Sept. 2, U.S. forces have carried out airstrikes against vessels accused of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, resulting in more than 100 deaths by Dec. 18. The campaign has involved dozens of strikes occurring almost daily. The tactic departs from previous Coast Guard-led interdictions that detained crews and pursued prosecution when drugs were found. Legal scholars say the military generally lacks authority to use lethal force against civilians suspected of criminal activity who are not engaged in active hostilities. The White House has declared an armed conflict with drug cartels and labeled smuggling-vessel operators as enemy combatants, linking the campaign to the overdose crisis.
Read at www.mediaite.com
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