Pentagon Official Admits Boat Strike May Have Killed Human Trafficking Victims
7 hours ago
- #Human Trafficking
- #Extrajudicial Killings
- #Military Strikes
- The first U.S. boat strike on September 2, 2025, resulted in 11 deaths, a high anomaly compared to later strikes that typically killed 1-4 people, raising questions about human trafficking among the victims.
- Military officials privately admitted that some of those killed may have been human trafficking victims, and the boat's high passenger count did not match typical drug smuggling profiles.
- Adm. Frank Bradley ordered a second strike about 45 minutes after the first, killing two survivors who were shipwrecked and waving, which experts argue may violate international law on surrendering combatants.
- Intelligence on the boat's occupants was vague; U.S. forces did not positively identify all individuals, with some labeled as 'affiliates' based on loose criteria, and 1 in 5 suspected drug boats interdicted had no contraband.
- The Trump administration's campaign involved over 60 strikes and 200 extrajudicial killings, with targeting based on flawed intelligence and procedures compared to past drone wars, leading to likely civilian deaths.