4 h. ago A timeline of the US military's buildup near Venezuela and attacks on alleged drug boats

The Trump administration has built up a fleet of warships near Venezuela as American forces keep blowing up small boats accused of smuggling narcotics for drug cartels

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7 h. ago The Trump administration sinks to a new low – opening fire on drowning men | Jonathan Freedland

These deadly US boat strikes are the latest example of a president corrupting both the law and moralityThe Trump administration looks ever more like a criminal enterprise – and now it seems to have added war crimes to its repertoire. Though even that may be too generous a description.On Thursday, word came that the US military had launched yet another deadly strike on a small boat moving through international waters. This time the attack killed four people, bringing to at least 87 the number of people the US has killed in a series of 22 such strikes on what it says are drug boats – vessels carrying illicit narcotics in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific.Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnistGuardian newsroom: Year One of Trumpism: Is Britain Emulating the US? On Wednesday 21 January 2026, join Jonathan Freedland, Tania Branigan and Nick Lowles as they reflect on the first year of Donald Trump’s second presidency – and to ask if Britain could be set on the same path. Book tickets h...

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9 h. ago Four killed in latest ‘drug boat’ strike as Hegseth faces war crimes accusations

The US military conducted another deadly strike on an alleged drug boat, killing four men on board.

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13 h. ago US airstrike survivors clung to boat wreckage for an hour before second deadly attack, video shows

Footage seen by US senators shows two unarmed, shirtless men struggling to stay afloat before they were killed in follow-up action, sources say Experts say Trump’s ‘drug boat’ war is legally shakyTwo men who survived a US airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean clung to the wreckage for an hour before they were killed in a second attack, according a video of the episode shown to senators in Washington.The men were shirtless, unarmed and carried no visible radio or other communications equipment. They also appeared to have no idea what had just hit them, or that the US military was weighing whether to finish them off, two sources familiar with the recording told Reuters. Continue reading...

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24 h. ago Hegseth orders new strike that kills 4 on alleged drug boat amid ‘double tap’ controversy

Attack comes just hours after Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley briefed concerned lawmakers about the September ‘double tap’ strike

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25 h. ago US military conducts strike on another suspected drug boat as probe into the first strike begins

U.S. Southern Command says it has conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, following a pause of almost three weeks

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25 h. ago Hegseth orders new strike that kills four on alleged drug boat amid ‘double tap’ controversy

The attack comes just hours after Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley briefed concerned lawmakers about the September ‘double tap’ strike

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29 h. ago Experts urge release of boat strike video as US admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order

Democrat Jim Himes calls footage ‘one of the most troubling scenes’ he’s observed in public serviceAnalysis: Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shakyTop Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress on Thursday said that the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, had not ordered the military to kill surviving members of a a deadly attack on a boat alleged to be carrying drugs in the Caribbean, but differed over whether the double strike was appropriate.The allegation that Hegseth ordered the killing of survivors sparked bipartisan concern in Washington that he or others involved may have committed a war crime. On Thursday, US navy admiral Frank Bradley, who commanded the attack, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, appeared before the House and Senate’s armed services and intelligence committees for a closed briefing in which they showed video and discussed the attack with lawmakers. Continue reading...

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29 h. ago US admiral defends second strike on alleged drug boat in Caribbean

Briefing to lawmakers over September 2 mission comes as Trump and Hegseth seek to distance themselves

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31 h. ago US lawmakers call for inquiry into second US military strike on alleged Caribbean drug boat

Democratic representative Jim Himes, who saw footage of attack, called it ‘one of the most troubling scenes’ he’s observed in public serviceAnalysis: Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shakyA Democratic congressman described an unedited video of an extrajudicial military strike that killed two survivors in the Caribbean as “one of the most troubling scenes” he’s seen in public service, as human rights advocates and policy experts are lining up to demand the video’s public release.Congressman Jim Himes, the ranking member of the House intelligence committee, made the remarks on Thursday after viewing footage in a classified briefing of the 2 September follow-up attack that killed two men clinging to wreckage off the coast of Venezuela. His assessment came as experts called the operation murder under international law. Continue reading...

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33 h. ago Lawmakers will hear from Navy admiral who ordered attack that killed boat strike survivors

The Navy admiral who reportedly issued orders to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat is on Capitol Hill for a classified briefing with top lawmakers

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35 h. ago Military general to claim survivors of boat strike were trying to continue their drug run when hit with second attack

Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley is expected to explain how he concluded the survivors were legitimate targets for another attack

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36 h. ago The Latest: Lawmakers to hear from Navy admiral who ordered attack that killed boat strike survivors

The Navy admiral who reportedly issued orders for the U.S. military to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat is expected on Capitol Hill to provide a classified briefing to top congressional lawmakers overseeing national security

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37 h. ago Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley: The ‘gold standard’ Navy SEAL officer at the centre of Hegseth boat strike blame game

Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley - described as ‘a leader of courage, integrity, professionalism and unmatched skill’ - will address Congress over the deadly ‘double tap’ strike on a suspected drug boat

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38 h. ago Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shaky

Pentagon’s Law of War manual clearly prohibits attack, but justification for whole campaign also faces tough questionsGraphic depictions of two survivors being killed by a second US military strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug ferrying boat have provoked outrage where previously there was none – or at least relatively little.A firestorm of controversy has greeted a recent Washington Post report which suggested that a deadly attack on a vessel carrying 11 people in the Caribbean was followed with a second assault after the initial strike failed to kill everybody onboard. Continue reading...

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38 h. ago Hegseth under pressure as admiral blamed for ‘war crime’ boat strike to be grilled by Congress: Live

Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley is set to give a classified briefing to lawmakers over the lethal Venezuela ‘drug boat’ strikes

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40 h. ago Hegseth forced out US Navy admiral who had legal concerns over Trump’s drug boat strikes: report

The departure of Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of U.S. Southern Command, has stunned lawmakers and military experts

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49 h. ago Pentagon reportedly knew strike on alleged drug boat left survivors

It is still unclear who ordered the strikes and whether US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth was involved, source tells Associated PressThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it had started its immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans today.In a statement, the department said Operation Catahoula Crunch would target “criminal illegal aliens roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies”. New Orleans is the latest Democratic-run city (albeit in a Republican-led state) to see federal immigration agents on its streets. Most recently, the Trump administration targeted Charlotte, North Carolina, and touted the arrest of more than 300 undocumented immigrants. Continue reading...

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51 h. ago Trump says ‘this is war’ as he continues to ramp up threats and attacks on Venezuela

Dozens of strikes against alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean have killed more than 80 people since September

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51 h. ago Pentagon knew boat attack left survivors but still launched a follow

The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike

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