narco-trafficking
29 Articles
Operation Southern Spear: Why the Crews, Drugs, and Boats are Not Targetable
A deep dive on the international law applicable to the U.S. military's lethal operations against suspected drug boats
U.S. Boat Strike Campaign: Questions Congress Should Ask Executive Branch Officials
A list of questions that should be answered by U.S. government officials regarding the lethal campaign against suspected drug trafficking individuals, groups, and vessels.
Expert Q&A on the U.S. Boat Strikes
An expert Q&A on the Trump administration's lethal strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats on the high seas.
Professional Responsibility and the Boat Strikes
Legal and ethical debates surge around unreleased OLC memo on lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean, with growing calls for transparency and scrutiny of military lawyers.
From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)
The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.
Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes
A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.
Irreconcilable Presidential Determinations: On Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan Government
The two determinations are mutually exclusive; it is legally impossible to maintain both simultaneously.
The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III
Tess Bridgeman is joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to assess the latest strikes, the brief detention of two survivors, where the campaign may be headed, and what…
Attacking Drug Cartels in the Territory of Another State
The U.S. operations conducted to date against suspected members of drug cartels stretch the applicable international law rules and their interpretation beyond recognition.
The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In
Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to analyze the facts, the law, and implications of U.S. killings in the Caribbean.
Legal Flaws in the Trump Administration’s Notice to Congress on “Armed Conflict” with Drug Cartels
The Trump administration’s “armed conflict” justification, however, is groundless.
US Servicemembers’ Exposure to Criminal Liability for Lethal Strikes on Narcoterrorists
Analysis by former career judge advocate officer and former court-martial prosecutor.