# Mass murder on the high seas (Venezuelan "drug boat") **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 10, 2025, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910 "2025-09-10T13:44:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/181 "2025-11-11T00:35:53Z")
What you should do is copy my post, but substitute “Obama” for “trump”. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/182 "2025-11-11T00:41:47Z")
Yes, Trump ordered more drone strikes in **his first 2 years** than Obama did in his entire 8 years of office. And we only know how many drone strikes he did those two years, because he stopped reporting them afterward. Obama created the policy of transparency to make those numbers public during his administration, and Trump ended that policy, probably because it was making him look terrible. (It’s kind of funny that he cared back then, now I don’t think he’d give a shit.) > **[Trump revokes Obama rule on reporting drone strike deaths](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47480207)** > > The US will not have to publish how many civilians are killed in drone strikes outside of war zones. That is a failed “gotcha” attempt from an obvious trock. What makes the drone strikes (which are also problematic for a number of reasons, not least of which because of civilian deaths) different from these boat attacks, is that presumably the drones were used on military targets. These aren’t military targets. These are fishing boats accused of having drugs in them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/183 "2025-11-11T00:47:48Z")
Yeah, the US military does, from time to time, kill people. That’s rather part of the job description of a military, and nobody but hardcore pacifists objects to that fact in itself. What’s relevant is whom they’re killing. Were there any particular Obama drone strikes that you considered especially objectionable? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/184 "2025-11-11T01:08:07Z")
The boats _could_ be stopped, but trump said that they’re going to be killed, “like, dead”, so Kegbreath is just following orders. His name can be added to the hypothetical warrant. ---
**Author:** ![ThinLineBetween](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@ThinLineBetween](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThinLineBetween)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/185 "2025-11-11T09:14:08Z")
The French have a saying “ the only man who looks under a bed is one who has hidden under a bed” so I’ll be a cunt like you and assume you’re the one with banned accounts yet returns to the imaginary fray as if there is any value or consequence here. Well I’ll do that for as long as it takes me to finish typing. There, done. Enjoy your imaginary whatever the hell, it is here, probably better that people like you are in here instead of out in the real world. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/186 "2025-11-12T02:57:55Z")
> [@ThinLineBetween](#): > > so I’ll be a cunt like you I know it’s the Pit but it is time to stop using vile, misogynistic slurs like cunt. We don’t allow such blatant use of the “n” word. The “c” word is as much a hateful slur to me as a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/187 "2025-11-14T22:10:30Z")
Also posted in the other thread. > **[DOJ memo that OKs US ‘drug boat’ strikes is based ‘entirely on a Trump theory’](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/drug-boat-strikes-venezuela-trump-memo-b2865573.html)** > > At least 80 people have been killed in 20 strikes on alleged smuggling boats > A lengthy section at the end of the memo sets out a legal defense, stating that any administration official or troops charged over such killings would have “battlefield immunity” because of the alleged state of armed conflict, _The Times_ reports. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/188 "2025-11-14T23:34:17Z")
For a movement that abhors vaccines, MAGA sure likes to throw around the word “immunity”. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/189 "2025-11-15T00:38:43Z")
I always thought they had to be given an opportunity to surrender. It’s fucking murder. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/190 "2025-11-15T04:41:56Z")
But if they surrender its all sorts of messy, you have to figure out what to do with them, who has jurisdiction, you have to have a trial and evidence, and who knows it may come out that they aren’t actually drug smugglers. Much cleaner just to send them and any evidence down to Davy Jones. No fuss no muss. Seriously though you can tell this isn’t really about stopping drugs. If it was they would want to take them prisoner so you can get information about the drug cartel’s operation. But actual effective law enforcement is contrary to the goal of keeping the drug war going so that you can carry on painting South American immigrants as violetn criminals. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/191 "2025-11-15T20:05:05Z")
Or, it could be indeed about stopping drugs, but just by intimidation with some murder of innocents. For sure some cartel smugglers are going to be afraid to ship narcotics into America, and in the eyes of the Trump administration, the death of a few dozen or hundred innocent people is just welp, too bad, the price to be paid. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/192 "2025-11-15T20:29:48Z")
el donald seems to think that provoking a foreign war will give him an excuse to stay in office past 2028. The tactic has worked in other places. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/193 "2025-11-15T21:03:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Or, it could be indeed about stopping drugs, but just by intimidation with some murder of innocents. For sure some cartel smugglers are going to be afraid to ship narcotics into America, and in the eyes of the Trump administration, the death of a few dozen or hundred innocent people is just welp, too bad, the price to be paid. If it was about stopping drugs it wouldn’t be Venezuela and boats that couldn’t reach the U.S. without refueling half a dozen times. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/194 "2025-12-01T22:56:11Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > If it was about stopping drugs it wouldn’t be Venezuela and boats that couldn’t reach the U.S. without refueling half a dozen times. Also, if it was about stopping drugs, Donald wouldn’t have pardoned the former President of Honduras (convicted on drug-trafficking charges). Pete Hegseth is trying to persuade the children that extrajudicial killing is Cool, Man: [![](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2amnkge5a6hplfwyesmxqkfl/bafkreievunswpzoq62cgv4ayditdbzjc33t3gjvetrhaxzbsoxngsoc3yq@jpeg) ](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2amnkge5a6hplfwyesmxqkfl/bafkreievunswpzoq62cgv4ayditdbzjc33t3gjvetrhaxzbsoxngsoc3yq@jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/195 "2025-12-02T01:48:42Z")
That would be darkly hilarious if anybody other than Hegseth had come up with it. Although it would not surprise me at all if someone else did come up with it and Hegseth is just reposting it without attribution. Either way, Hegseth is an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/196 "2025-12-02T02:10:17Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Although it would not surprise me at all if someone else did come up with it and Hegseth is just reposting it without attribution. I 100% guarantee that is the case. There is no way he came up with that himself. I’m having trouble finding where it originally came from though. Here is an article about it that had a particular part I liked though. > **[Amid war crimes allegations, Hegseth posts AI image of Franklin firing at...](https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pete-hegseth-franklin-meme-drug-boats-b2875907.html)** > > Trump administration’s campaign against alleged drug-carrying boats faces growing legal scrutiny > In response, X users posted AI-generated Franklin covers of their own, with titles like _Franklin Goes to The Hague_ , _Franklin On Trial at the ICC_ , and _Franklin Goes to Jail._ ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/197 "2025-12-02T09:08:02Z")
You know, I’m starting to think you’re not a Super Hero at all! ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/198 "2025-12-02T12:44:50Z")
I am just trying to wrap my head around this. Let’s give the Administration all the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say they had proof that these were drug boats and everyone on board was a criminal. Let’s say we are at war with the drug dealers. Let’s even say they had a valid reason for targeting the boats. How can you justify a second strike on survivors clinging to the wreckage? There is no “fog of war” here. There is no justification for summarily executing criminals without due process. There is no justification for executing people whose crimes do not merit the death penalty. It’s like Hegsdeth is playing a game where the goal is to completely destroy the enemy. But this is not a game. These are real people who have not committed capital crimes according to the Administration. This is straight up murder. Why are the generals not refusing? Are their cushy jobs worth more than any integrity or common decency? They are being thrown under the bus regardless but what kind of country allows this? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/199 "2025-12-02T14:39:57Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > How can you justify a second strike on survivors clinging to the wreckage? Easily enough, from a right wing viewpoint. They are criminals, which means they “deserve” death. They are brown, which means they “deserve” death. And they aren’t rich and American, which means their lives are worth nothing to begin with. Just like killing so many rats to people like the Republicans, except they’d probably feel more moral qualms about killing rats. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910/200 "2025-12-02T14:52:10Z")
Wouldn’t it be something if Hegseth (or any other fucker in that chain of command) were hanged in the Hague, all just to change the catch of the day on the menu of some seafood restaurant in Trinidad? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-murder-on-the-high-seas-venezuelan-drug-boat/1022910.md?page=11)