As the Trump administration blows up suspicious boats, legal experts raise red flags [View all]

Once upon a time, a boat suspected of carrying illegal drugs into the US was a job for the US Coast Guard, who would stop and search the vessel and hand its occupants over to authorities.

Under the Trump administration, it's become a job for the newly rebranded Department of War, and the most powerful military force in the world.

For the second time in a fortnight, a boat alleged by the White House to be trafficking drugs to the US has been blown up by a US air strike, killing all on board.

Video released on Mr Trump's social media account shows a powerboat floating on the open sea, before a massive explosion sets it on fire. Three men on board were killed in the air strike, the president said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-16/trump-administration-lethal-force-drug-cartels-international-law/105778434