US Navy Holding Survivors of Attacked Caribbean Boat as Prisoners in Trump's War on "Narcoterrorists"
The US Navy is holding two survivors of a recent attack on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean, according to two government officials. This marks the first time that prisoners have been taken under President Donald Trump's administration's undeclared war against undisclosed "narcoterrorist" groups.
According to officials, the two survivors were on board the boat that was attacked by the US military on Thursday. The attack reportedly killed two or more people, although the exact number is not known. The strike was part of a series of attacks carried out by the Trump administration in the Caribbean, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 27 people.
The prisoners are believed to be the first law of war detainees under the Trump administration's declaration of a "non-international armed conflict" with designated terrorist organizations or DTOs. The US government has not disclosed the specific group responsible for the attack, and it is unclear whether the survivors were injured in the initial strike that killed civilians.
Critics argue that the detention of the prisoners is patently illegal, as there was no declared war and no clear authorization from Congress. "Given that there is no armed conflict, there is no basis to hold these survivors as law of war detainees," said Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in counterterrorism issues.
The Trump administration's use of the term "narcoterrorist" has been widely criticized by legal experts and human rights groups. The US government's actions have been compared to those of authoritarian regimes that use such language to justify arbitrary detentions and killings.
In a recent press conference, President Trump described the strike as an attack on a submarine carrying massive amounts of drugs, despite reports that two Colombian nationals were on board at least one of the boats sunk by the US. The president's comments have been criticized for their inflammatory tone and lack of evidence.
The detention of the survivors has raised concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and the Trump administration's disregard for international law. "This is not hyperbole," said an editorial in The Intercept, which has long covered authoritarian governments and the US government's actions around the world.
The US Navy is holding two survivors of a recent attack on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean, according to two government officials. This marks the first time that prisoners have been taken under President Donald Trump's administration's undeclared war against undisclosed "narcoterrorist" groups.
According to officials, the two survivors were on board the boat that was attacked by the US military on Thursday. The attack reportedly killed two or more people, although the exact number is not known. The strike was part of a series of attacks carried out by the Trump administration in the Caribbean, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 27 people.
The prisoners are believed to be the first law of war detainees under the Trump administration's declaration of a "non-international armed conflict" with designated terrorist organizations or DTOs. The US government has not disclosed the specific group responsible for the attack, and it is unclear whether the survivors were injured in the initial strike that killed civilians.
Critics argue that the detention of the prisoners is patently illegal, as there was no declared war and no clear authorization from Congress. "Given that there is no armed conflict, there is no basis to hold these survivors as law of war detainees," said Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in counterterrorism issues.
The Trump administration's use of the term "narcoterrorist" has been widely criticized by legal experts and human rights groups. The US government's actions have been compared to those of authoritarian regimes that use such language to justify arbitrary detentions and killings.
In a recent press conference, President Trump described the strike as an attack on a submarine carrying massive amounts of drugs, despite reports that two Colombian nationals were on board at least one of the boats sunk by the US. The president's comments have been criticized for their inflammatory tone and lack of evidence.
The detention of the survivors has raised concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and the Trump administration's disregard for international law. "This is not hyperbole," said an editorial in The Intercept, which has long covered authoritarian governments and the US government's actions around the world.