Trump says ‘we’re going to start doing those strikes on land too’ as he talks about drug boat attacks
Trump threatens to expand Venezuela drug boat strikes
- Donald Trump has announced the U.S. will extend military strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats to land, stating such operations would be “much easier.”
- The Pentagon faces scrutiny over a September strike where a commander reportedly ordered a second attack to “kill everybody” on an alleged drug boat after survivors were sighted.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the September strike and later shared an AI-generated image depicting children's character Franklin the Turtle targeting “Narco Terrorists.”
- Democratic lawmakers and former military officials have alleged potential “war crimes” regarding the strikes, prompting calls for “vigorous oversight” from Congress.
- The Trump administration previously declared an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, but lawmakers and civil rights groups question the legal justifications for the more than 80 deaths in these attacks.