What happened
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that U.S. naval forces amassed in the southern Caribbean had destroyed a "drug-carrying boat" in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, killing 11 people. In a social media post with footage of a speedboat erupting in flames, Trump claimed the people killed in the strike were "positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists" transporting illegal drugs to the U.S.
Who said what
The White House "did not immediately explain how the military determined that those aboard the vessel were Tren de Aragua members," The Associated Press said, and the black-and-white video Trump shared "did not show any large or clear stashes of drugs inside the boat."
The strike was an "astonishing departure from traditional drug interdiction efforts," which focused on "seizing drugs and identifying suspects to build a criminal case," The New York Times said. John Feeley, a former U.S. ambassador to Panama, told The Wall Street Journal that the Coast Guard had long led maritime drug interdictions with a mandate "to preserve life," and the U.S. doesn't "just shoot up boats like Netflix likes to pretend."
What next?
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Tuesday that Trump "is very clear that he's going to use the full power of America" to "take on and eradicate these drug cartels" wherever they are and "and wherever they're operating." At a news conference late Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had warned Trump that Rubio "wants to stain your hands with blood" by pushing an invasion and coup.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being releasedThe Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Trump’s deportations are changing how we think about foodIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Department of Labor’s admission that immigration raids have affected America’s food supplies reopens a longstanding debate
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia JamesSpeed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in ChicagoSpeed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Gaza peace deal: why did Trump succeed where Biden failed?Today's Big Question As the first stage of a ceasefire begins, Trump’s unique ‘just-get-it-done’ attitude may have proven pivotal to negotiations
-
‘Use as little plastic as possible’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leadersSpeed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
The party bringing Trump-style populism to JapanUnder The Radar Far-right party is ‘shattering’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism’
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-offSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
