THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent Trump Drug Boat Bombings Take Darker Turn as Damning New Facts Emerge
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Sep 22, 2025 Brian Finucane, an editor at Just Security and expert in national security law, dives into the troubling implications of recent military strikes ordered by Trump against vessels in the Caribbean. He discusses the lack of evidence for these bombings and the alarming draft bill that seeks to expand presidential military authority. Finucane highlights the misapplication of counterterrorism laws and the potential for serious abuses of power, raising concerns about a shift towards lawlessness in U.S. military operations.
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Counterterrorism Framing Misused
- The administration is framing Caribbean boat strikes as counterterrorism to justify lethal force.
- Brian Finucane argues this is a misappropriation because the situation is not an armed conflict like post-9/11 wars.
Claims Without Evidence
- The administration asserted the second vessel's occupants were 'confirmed narco-terrorists' and drugs were a 'deadly weapon.'
- Finucane notes the government has provided little factual detail about identities, cargo, or destinations.
Draft Bill Mirrors 2001 AUMF
- A draft bill models itself on the 2001 AUMF and would give the president broad authority to use force against 'narco-terrorists.'
- Finucane warns this effectively reallocates Congress's war powers to the executive with no geographic limits.