Entire Chain of Command Could Be Held Liable for Killing Boat Strike Survivors, Sources Say
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s actions could spark investigations for war crimes or outright murder, sources told The Intercept.
License to Kill
Since September 2025, the Trump administration has conducted an undeclared war in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing scores of civilians by deploying drone strikes on boats they allege are carrying drugs.
Experts in the laws of war and members of Congress say the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings because the military is not permitted to deliberately target civilians — even suspected criminals — who do not pose an imminent threat of violence.
The Intercept is covering how the war on terror and the war on drugs are becoming one and the same.
Voices
Legalizing Cocaine Is the Only Way to End the Drug War
The war on drugs has failed, and Trump’s deadly boat strikes are only doubling down on decades of failed policy.
U.S. Military Documents Indicate Plans to Keep Troops in Caribbean Through 2028
As rumors of a U.S. war on Venezuela swirl, military documents show plans to feed a buildup of troops in the region for years.
Rubio Says Maduro is Terrorist-in-Chief of Venezuela’s “Cártel de los Soles.” Is It Even a Real Group?
The Trump administration’s push for war on Venezuela includes alleging Maduro controls a government-run “narcoterrorist” conspiracy.
Voices
War in Venezuela, Brought to You By the Same People Who Lied Us Into Iraq
Washington is making big claims to make the case for U.S. intervention. We’ve heard all these arguments before.
The U.S. Has Now Killed More Than 200 People in Ongoing Spree of Boat Strikes
The Intercept is keeping count of all publicly declared U.S. attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Secret Boat Strike Memo Justifies Killings By Claiming the Target Is Drugs, Not People
In a memo promising legal immunity for those who kill alleged drug traffickers, the Trump administration floated an unusual legal theory.
Trump Has a Secret List of 24 “Designated Terrorist Organizations.” We Got Some of the Names.
The U.S. claims it is engaged in “armed conflict” with Tren de Aragua, Ejército de Liberación Nacional, and Cártel de los Soles, among others.
Rand Paul Warns of “Warmongers,” but MAGA Rejects Venezuela War Powers Bill
It was potentially the last chance for Paul, Tim Kaine, and Adam Schiff to block U.S. military action in Venezuela with a war powers resolution.
Last-Ditch Effort to Block Trump’s Venezuela War Appeals to MAGA Republicans
With a War Powers vote looming in the Senate, advocates are pointing to Trump’s past opposition to regime change wars.