The Trump administration’s decision to launch military strikes against suspected narcotics boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific has been shocking. Rarely has the United States projected lethal force so close to its own shores, and for many Americans, the sight of missiles hitting vessels on familiar transit routes feels unsettling. That uncomfortable feeling has been the basis for much of the political angst surrounding this issue.

That discomfort is very real, but the facts paint a much more nuanced picture. The Trump administration is targeting vessels identified by U.S. intelligence as smuggling lethal narcotics into the United States, often with the support, or at least tacit approval, of foreign actors such as Venezuela. Whether you agree with President Donald Trump’s approach

See Full Page