The U.S. Keeps Killing Venezuelans on Boats. Is That Legal?

The Daily

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Thursday, 25 September 2025 - 36 minutes

The U.S. military has blown up three boats in the Caribbean Sea in the past three weeks, killing 17 people aboard.

Each time, President Trump has claimed that the boats were carrying drugs to the United States and that those killed were “narcoterrorists.” But he has offered no concrete evidence to back up this claim.

Charlie Savage, who covers national security for The New York Times, tells us what he has learned about what may be the true objective behind these airstrikes and whether any of this is even legal.

Guest: Charlie Savage, who writes about national security and legal policy for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Last week, Mr. Trump said the U.S. military had attacked a third boat suspected of carrying drugs, killing three.
• He has claimed the power to kill those suspected of drug smuggling.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Elizabeth Frantz for The New York Times

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