A Rogue Nation on the High Seas

"The Trump administration's justification for these strikes, such as it is, seems to be that any shipment of drugs connected to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a direct threat to the United States. These "narco-terrorists" may therefore be destroyed on sight, and without the fuss of asking permission from the U.S. Congress. This argument reflects the president's childlike but dangerous understanding of his role as commander in chief. The United States, once the leader of a global system of security and economic cooperation, is now acting like a rogue state on the high seas."

"The White House position is wrong on many levels. I taught the rules and theories that govern the use of force to military officers at the Naval War College for many years, and every summer for two decades to civilians at Harvard; I always reminded students that international law and traditions require states to show that they are acting in some form of self-defense, either in response to an attack or to forestall more violence."

U.S. naval forces struck two boats suspected of transporting drugs from Venezuela, producing an official death toll of 14 and hints of a possible third casualty. The administration frames shipments tied to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as direct threats to the United States and labels them "narco-terrorists," asserting authority to destroy such vessels on sight without seeking congressional approval. This posture reflects a misunderstanding of commander-in-chief responsibilities and portrays the United States acting like a rogue state on the high seas. International and American law require self-defense justification and prohibit unilateral designations and extrajudicial targeting without congressional involvement.

Read at The Atlantic