Slate News What Next | Trump Blew Up 11 People. Is That Legal?
Sep 10, 2025
Shane Harris, a national security expert from The Atlantic, and Ana Vanessa Herrero, a journalist reporting on South America for the Washington Post, dive into the controversial military action led by Trump that resulted in the explosion of a boat. They analyze the legality of targeting alleged drug traffickers in international waters and the implications for U.S. drug policy. The discussion also highlights complex U.S.-Venezuela relations, the resilience of Venezuelans amid political turmoil, and the potential ethical dilemmas of military intervention.
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President Announced Lethal Strike Via Social Media
- Trump announced and posted video of a strike that killed 11 people in international waters.
- The administration framed it as a drug-smuggling counterterrorism message rather than a conventional interdiction.
Video Release Served As A Political Signal
- Journalists and officials questioned whether 11 people would plausibly be on a drug-smuggling boat.
- The video release appeared intended to send a political message as much as to convey an operational fact.
Terrorist Label Doesn't Fit Drug Cartel Definition
- The administration labeled Tren de Aragua as terrorists without presenting public evidence.
- Shane Harris says that label doesn't match legal definitions requiring political aims for terrorism.