"Much of the Trump Administration's current agenda should not come as a complete surprise. On the campaign trail, the President was explicit about his most ambitious goals: mass arrests and deportations, the deployment of federal troops to American cities, and revenge against his political enemies. But nine months into his second term, what's been most overwhelming is the welter of new policies and actions that he is pursuing all at once, and with increasing abandon."
"Ordinarily, in cases of suspected trafficking, the Coast Guard would simply intercept these boats. In a letter given to Congress in September, however, the White House said it was engaged in an "armed conflict" against drug cartels. The Department of Defense has sent roughly ten thousand U.S. troops to the region, and has authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert actions within Venezuela."
The U.S. military has bombed seven boats off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks, killing about thirty-two people and claiming the vessels carried drugs. The White House framed the effort as an "armed conflict" against drug cartels, shifting interdiction beyond ordinary Coast Guard interceptions. The Department of Defense has deployed roughly ten thousand troops to the region and authorized C.I.A. covert actions inside Venezuela. The Administration has released video of the strikes but has not produced evidence that those aboard were criminals. The bombings raise questions about compliance with national and international law and mark an escalation toward military confrontation.
Read at The New Yorker
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