Over the last few months, the Trump regime has orchestrated the bombings of small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that it claims are trafficking drugs bound for the US. They’ve provided no legal justification for these bombings, which have now killed over 80 people in total.
In at least one of these strikes, Hegseth ordered troops to leave no survivors. Compliance with this order required a special operations commander to launch a second strike on two civilians who survived the initial attack. This command — known as a “no quarter order” — likely constitutes a war crime.
However, the civilians on those boats were not engaged in any armed conflict with the United States. They posed no imminent threat. As former military lawyer Todd Huntley put it, because there is no legitimate war between the U.S. and these alleged traffickers, killing them literally amounts to murder.
If Congress does not put a check on this regime’s lawless violence, there’s no telling where this will end. Hegseth could label anyone a legitimate target and order the military to carry out strikes without legal justification or even evidence of wrongdoing.
Every Representative and Senator, especially those on the Arms Service committee, must demand an immediate, public investigation into these killings and the orders behind them.