Outlawry in the Caribbean

Trump’s execution of drug strugglers by drone is barbaric even by 19th-century legal standards.

A two-winged drone is seen from below as it cuts across a deep blue sky, just a few clouds visible in the corner. September 10, 2025, 10:42 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

On Sept. 2, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the sinking of an outboard motor-powered, open boat somewhere in the Caribbean, killing 11 people. The Trump administration claims that the boat departed from Venezuela and was operated by Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization in February. Rather than interdicting and searching the vessel, then arresting its occupants if evidence of drug smuggling were discovered—the

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