Trump Administration Reveals Lack of Knowledge on Identity of Boat Strike Victims, Fueling Allegations of Illegal Extrajudicial Killings.
In a shocking admission, the Trump administration has confirmed that it does not know the identities of the civilians killed in its undeclared war against suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The administration's lack of transparency on this issue has sparked widespread criticism from lawmakers, human rights experts, and others who argue that the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings.
The U.S. military has been conducting boat strikes since September 2, resulting in over 60 civilian deaths. According to Trump officials, the administration is engaging in a "non-international armed conflict" with designated terrorist organizations (DTOs), which they claim justifies lethal force against suspected smugglers. However, critics argue that this designation is not supported by law and that the strikes are a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
Lawmakers have expressed outrage over the administration's lack of transparency on this issue, with Rep. Sara Jacobs stating, "This is just murder." The Pentagon has refused to provide any explanation for its withholding of information on the victims or the legal basis for the strikes, fueling allegations that the Trump administration is hiding something.
Experts in the laws of war argue that the administration's actions are a clear violation of international law and that the strikes should be immediately halted. "The problem with DoD calling cartels 'unprivileged belligerents' is that the U.S. is not actually in a non-international armed conflict — a legal term of art that, to be applicable, requires specific facts that just aren't the current reality," said Sarah Harrison, former associate general counsel at the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel, International Affairs.
The Trump administration's actions have also raised concerns about the erosion of due process and the rule of law in the United States. Withholding information from Congress and ignoring court orders has been described as a "partisan stunt" that sets a "reckless and deeply troubling precedent."
As The Intercept reported earlier, the Pentagon has been withholding key information on the attacks and the list of DTOs for almost two months. The Trump administration's actions have sparked widespread outrage, with some experts describing it as a "full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government."
In a shocking admission, the Trump administration has confirmed that it does not know the identities of the civilians killed in its undeclared war against suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The administration's lack of transparency on this issue has sparked widespread criticism from lawmakers, human rights experts, and others who argue that the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings.
The U.S. military has been conducting boat strikes since September 2, resulting in over 60 civilian deaths. According to Trump officials, the administration is engaging in a "non-international armed conflict" with designated terrorist organizations (DTOs), which they claim justifies lethal force against suspected smugglers. However, critics argue that this designation is not supported by law and that the strikes are a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
Lawmakers have expressed outrage over the administration's lack of transparency on this issue, with Rep. Sara Jacobs stating, "This is just murder." The Pentagon has refused to provide any explanation for its withholding of information on the victims or the legal basis for the strikes, fueling allegations that the Trump administration is hiding something.
Experts in the laws of war argue that the administration's actions are a clear violation of international law and that the strikes should be immediately halted. "The problem with DoD calling cartels 'unprivileged belligerents' is that the U.S. is not actually in a non-international armed conflict — a legal term of art that, to be applicable, requires specific facts that just aren't the current reality," said Sarah Harrison, former associate general counsel at the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel, International Affairs.
The Trump administration's actions have also raised concerns about the erosion of due process and the rule of law in the United States. Withholding information from Congress and ignoring court orders has been described as a "partisan stunt" that sets a "reckless and deeply troubling precedent."
As The Intercept reported earlier, the Pentagon has been withholding key information on the attacks and the list of DTOs for almost two months. The Trump administration's actions have sparked widespread outrage, with some experts describing it as a "full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government."
. its like dey think dey can just do whatevs & not answer 2 anyone. law makers are all over dem, sayin it's "murder"... but Pentagon's all like "nbd, we got dis" 
. its not right, u know? dey're erodin due process & settin a bad example 4 future govts 2 follow 
. some ppl r callin it an "autho-tayzation takeovw" 
but i think its more like dey just wanna avoid bein held accountable 4 their actions 
. I mean, how can you just kill people without knowing who they are? It doesn't even sound like a military operation anymore, more like a vigilante justice situation. The fact that they're hiding this info from Congress and the courts is unacceptable, it's like they're above the law or something. 
. I'm not saying that everyone who's against these strikes is right, but come on, at least have the decency to know who you're killing or be transparent about it.
. If they can't even get that right, how do we trust them to make decisions on international relations? It's like they're trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
. This isn't just about these specific strikes, it's about the erosion of due process and the rule of law in general. We can't let this slide, we need to make some noise and demand answers 
.
. And now experts are saying it's a clear violation of international law... like, come on! 
. It makes me wonder what else they're hiding behind closed doors. And that Rep Sara Jacobs saying "This is just murder"? I'm with her on that one 
.
. The US government should be held accountable for its actions, not playing a game of hide-and-seek 
. We deserve better transparency than this!
but seriously, this whole thing reeks of a huge cover-up. The Pentagon's response is just a bunch of empty corporate speak trying to hide the truth. And what really gets me is how they're using this as a partisan stunt to try and silence anyone who speaks out against it... like, no way, dude 
we need transparency and accountability here! 
. I mean, if that's really how it works, then why hasn't Congress been briefed on this whole thing? It's just not adding up 
.
. If Trump thinks he can just ignore international law and do whatever he wants, then that's a problem for the rest of us 
.
and i'm not buying it. its like, the pentagon's just tryin to cover their own ass and avoid takin accountability for what they've done 
the Pentagon refusing to explain themselves is straight up shady whats wrong with this admin? 
The fact that they're calling these cartels "unprivileged belligerents" is just a bunch of lawyer speak for "we're gonna kill them and pretend it's okay" 
. I mean, what are we even doing here? This whole situation just reeks of cover-up and disregard for human life 
.
The Trump admin is all like "it's just our way of dealing with cartels" but really it's just a big mess. And now the Pentagon won't give any info on the victims? Like, come on! 
2025, we should know better than this. And the experts are right, it's all about avoiding accountability and setting a bad precedent for future governments. Ugh, I just don't get it. 
this is so messed up.
like what kinda game is this 
and those strikes should be stopped ASAP 
this is just murder 
. It's like they're saying 'we're not even gonna try to find out who these people are' - it's just so uncaring. And the fact that they're trying to justify it as some kind of 'non-international armed conflict' just sounds like a bunch of malarkey 
! Like, come on, guys... 60+ civilians killed and still no idea who they are? That's just crazy talk 
. This whole thing reeks of a huge cover-up 
! Meanwhile, the Pentagon is just sitting there, hiding info and ignoring court orders... what a total disregard for due process 
. It feels like we're sliding into some dark place 
. We need more transparency, more accountability, and definitely less authoritarian vibes 
this whole thing just smells like a cover-up to me and it's getting out of hand how can the admin claim its a "non-international armed conflict" when there's no clear evidence or law to back that up? and lawmakers are right on point "this is just murder" 
We need more transparency and accountability here, not less. But at the same time, I don't want to be one of those people who just assumes everything is bad about Trump's admin... maybe there's some nuance we're missing?