Fox News host acknowledges Trump could face significant consequences if White House ordered boat survivors to be killed

A prominent Fox News commentator has acknowledged that former President Donald Trump could face serious trouble if his administration authorized the killing of survivors from a boat strike in the Caribbean. The incident occurred on September 2 near Trinidad, with U.S. officials asserting that the vessel was transporting drugs from Venezuela to the United States. However, a report by The Washington Post alleged that Pete Hegseth instructed officials to "eliminate everyone" on board, prompting Admiral Frank Bradley to target the survivors who were clinging to the wreckage.

Brit Hume, Fox News Chief Political Analyst, discussed the issue on the Special Report program, noting that the legality of the second strike hinges on the military's intentions. He explained, The key question is whether the follow-up strike aimed to finish destroying the remaining parts of the damaged boat or if its primary goal was to kill the survivors. Intentionally targeting survivors would be a major legal problem. If casualties occurred incidentally while completing the destruction of the vessel, the situation is different.

The White House defended the operation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Admiral Bradley acted well within his authority and the law when executing the follow-up strike, emphasizing that the objective was to destroy the boat and neutralize the threat from narco-terrorists. Leavitt added that the strikes were carried out in international waters and in line with the law of armed conflict.

Legal scrutiny continues over the broader bombing campaign. To date, the U.S. military has conducted at least 21 strikes on 22 vessels, resulting in a minimum of 83 fatalities. Although the United States is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, military legal advisors maintain that U.S. policy is to act in accordance with its principles, which prohibit interfering with ships in international waters or using lethal force unless in self-defense or in pursuit of a vessel.

The U.S. has labeled the Tren de Aragua cartel, whose members were reportedly aboard some of the targeted vessels, as a terrorist organization. Nonetheless, Professor Michael Becker, a human rights expert at Trinity College Dublin, told the BBC that classifying a group as terrorists does not make them legitimate military targets. Labeling those killed as narco-terrorists does not automatically render them lawful military objectives, he said. The U.S. is not engaged in armed conflict with Venezuela or the Tren de Aragua organization.

Relations between Venezuela and the United States have intensified recently. Trump has warned of potential land operations and advised pilots to avoid Venezuelan airspace. He has described Venezuela as not a very friendly country and has directed a significant U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. In response, President Nicols Maduro, who did not recognize the 2024 U.S. elections, has pledged to defend every inch of Venezuela against any perceived imperialist threats.

Author: Sophia Brooks