Trump Used to Fantasize About Killing Suspects. Now He’s Doing It.

Mona Charen talks with Adam Isacson and John Walsh of the Washington Office on Latin America about Operation Southern Spear, the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats, and the secret legal theory being used to justify them. They examine the killing of survivors in a second strike, Pete Hegseth’s purge of military lawyers, the evidence that the campaign hasn’t reduced the cocaine supply, and why U.S. allies are increasingly wary of sharing intelligence that could be used in the strikes.

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Further reading:

WOLA — Killing Spree: Extrajudicial Executions in the U.S. Boat Strikes Campaign
https://www.wola.org/analysis/killing-spree-extrajudicial-executions-in-the-u-s-boat-strikes-campaign/

The Washington Post — Deadly U.S. boat strikes have failed to curb cocaine supply, Pentagon and DEA officials say
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/27/operation-southern-spear-has-not-slowed-cocaine-entering-us/

Reuters — We bought everything needed to make $3 million worth of fentanyl. All it took was $3,600.
https://www.reuters.com/investigations/we-bought-everything-needed-make-3-million-worth-fentanyl-all-it-took-was-3600-2024-07-25/