The Trump administration is issuing legal cover for military personnel involved in lethal attacks on suspected drug smugglers, labeling the victims as "narco-terrorists". A secret memo from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, known as the OLC memo, justifies these killings under a dubious theory claiming that narcotics generated revenue for cartels deemed an armed threat by the Trump administration.
The memo asserts that the U.S. is coming to the defense of Latin American countries under what is called the "revenue generating target theory", which holds that the civilians on the boats are considered collateral damage and their deaths excused through a proportionality analysis tied to military advantage gained from the attack.
Critics argue that this legal theory differs from President Trump's public statements, and the OLC memo appears to have been fashioned to suit a pre-existing White House decision. Experts say the strikes are unlawful extrajudicial killings because they deliberately target civilians even if suspected of being involved in organized crime.
The US military has carried out 20 known attacks, killing at least 80 people, mostly by destroying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The most recent attack killed four people on a vessel in the Caribbean on Monday. However, experts note that there is no guarantee of immunity for military personnel involved, despite claims made in the memo.
In contrast to previous US military actions against true belligerents, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, these strikes target alleged drug smugglers without evidence of armed conflict or organized hostilities with the U.S. The OLC memo also relies on a disputed theory that customary international law does not bind the executive branch under the Constitution, citing a secret January 2002 memo from the George W. Bush administration that authorized torture despite international law.
Critics point out that while top officials may escape punishment for atrocities, not all those in power are immune to consequences. Trump's attacks on democracy and press freedom have drawn widespread criticism, with some outlets covering his actions as "politics as usual" rather than authoritarianism.
The memo asserts that the U.S. is coming to the defense of Latin American countries under what is called the "revenue generating target theory", which holds that the civilians on the boats are considered collateral damage and their deaths excused through a proportionality analysis tied to military advantage gained from the attack.
Critics argue that this legal theory differs from President Trump's public statements, and the OLC memo appears to have been fashioned to suit a pre-existing White House decision. Experts say the strikes are unlawful extrajudicial killings because they deliberately target civilians even if suspected of being involved in organized crime.
The US military has carried out 20 known attacks, killing at least 80 people, mostly by destroying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The most recent attack killed four people on a vessel in the Caribbean on Monday. However, experts note that there is no guarantee of immunity for military personnel involved, despite claims made in the memo.
In contrast to previous US military actions against true belligerents, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, these strikes target alleged drug smugglers without evidence of armed conflict or organized hostilities with the U.S. The OLC memo also relies on a disputed theory that customary international law does not bind the executive branch under the Constitution, citing a secret January 2002 memo from the George W. Bush administration that authorized torture despite international law.
Critics point out that while top officials may escape punishment for atrocities, not all those in power are immune to consequences. Trump's attacks on democracy and press freedom have drawn widespread criticism, with some outlets covering his actions as "politics as usual" rather than authoritarianism.
. This whole thing is just wild - like, can't we get back to making decisions based on facts and law, you know? 
The revenue generating target theory just sounds like a bunch of hooey to me - I mean, if we're gonna call people "narco-terrorists", shouldn't they at least have some evidence of that? 
It's not right that our military is just blowing up boats in the Caribbean without even checking for innocent civilians. That's just not how it works, folks! 
. And what really gets me is that all of this is happening under the guise of "defending" Latin American countries... while we're basically just taking out people who aren't even involved in any armed conflict with us 
.
. We need to get back on track, folks! 
it's so twisted.
. I just can't believe that the US government is essentially saying it's okay to kill civilians in order to make a point about narco-terrorism. It's like they're putting a price on human life and it's just not right 
. I'm worried about what this means for the rule of law and accountability, especially when it comes to our own military personnel 
? We need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and not let them get away with it... or else we'll lose everything we stand for 
.
. also, the fact that these military personnel aren't guaranteed immunity despite the memo is pretty concerning... i don't think we can just sweep this under the rug or say it's "politics as usual" 
. these strikes are happening in international waters and they're targeting civilians who might not even be involved with organized crime... it feels like a slippery slope to me 
. And it's not even about self-defense, it's just about getting rid of people who are perceived as threats.
.
. Trump's attacks on democracy and press freedom have been super concerning, and it's like he's trying to rewrite the rules as he goes along 
. We need to stay vigilant and hold him and his team accountable for their actions 
. It's essential that we have systems in place to prevent abuse of power, and that we hold those in power accountable for their actions 
.
this new memo from the Trump admin is straight outta a bad movie - they're basically saying it's okay to kill people just because they might be involved in cartels? 
. these military personnel are getting away scot-free while innocent civilians get killed... it's just not right 
. It's all about "defending" Latin America, which sounds suspiciously like code for "we're gonna keep invading and killing people until they do what we want". Meanwhile, the Taliban gets called out for fighting against the US, but it's okay to just kill a bunch of random people who are suspected of being involved in organized crime? Nope, that doesn't sound at all sketchy... 
and experts are right to say that these strikes are unlawful extrajudicial killings, no matter what they call them
it takes courage to speak truth to power, and we need more people doing that
like what even is this "revenue generating target theory" lol sounds like something out of a bad movie 
And what's with this "revenue generating target theory" anyway? It sounds like some made-up excuse to justify these attacks. 
? The "revenue generating target theory" sounds like something straight out of a dystopian novel 
. And don't even get me started on the fact that this memo is totally fabricated 
.
. It's like they're saying that anyone can be killed if they're in the wrong place at the wrong time 
. That's not justice, that's just plain old-fashioned brutality 
. We need to stand up against this kind of nonsense and demand better 
.
