United States of America

US Boat Strike in Eastern Pacific Kills 2

Are these strikes a necessary war on narco-terrorism or a costly failure making drugs cheaper and cartels stronger?

Published 5 days ago

US Boat Strike in Eastern Pacific Kills 2

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Above: Pete Hegseth arrives on Dec. 16, 2025, for a meeting with House leadership on the military strikes against drug boats in the Caribbean. Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

Striking narco-terrorist boats in international waters is the right call. These aren't just drug shipments; they're part of an industrial-scale trafficking system bankrolling designated terrorist organizations that have caused far more American deaths than overseas conflicts ever did. The U.S. president has clear constitutional authority to order these strikes, and the law of armed conflict fully supports targeting unflagged vessels carrying no protected status in international law. Letting cartels operate unchecked while hiding behind procedural objections is exactly how this crisis got so bad in the first place.

U.S. Naval Institute Real Clear Defense

Jesus Romero on X

Anti-Trump narrative

After dozens of strikes and at least 223 dead, cocaine street prices have hit record lows and purity has risen. The boat strikes aren't slowing the drug trade at all, especially as cocaine on eastern Pacific vessels is mostly bound for Europe, not the U.S. Beyond failing on the merits, the campaign dismantles the intelligence pipeline that actually works, since killing smugglers eliminates the only leverage prosecutors had to build cases against cartel bosses. It's clear that the target has always been setting the precedent that the U.S. can kill first, ask nothing and call it policy.

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