Trump used the military to target a Venezuelan vessel. Is it legal?

A 30 second video clip shows a boat bobbing in the water.

Then, a fireball and a huge plume of smoke.

President Trump posted the footage on social media this week, saying he ordered the U-S military to attack what Trump called “narcoterrorists from Venezuela.”

It’s at least the second time this month that President Trump has ordered this sort of a deadly strike on a boat that he claims carried illegal drugs.

It's an example of the new ways Trump is deploying military force. The President has used the National Guard in American cities.

Do the strikes on Venezuelan vessels signal a new way of using the military abroad, and is it legal?


See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy