By Mariam Khan
September 3, 2025, 7:36 PM
... the White House and Pentagon and State Department officials have not explained how the military determined that those aboard the vessel were Tren de Aragua members. Nor has the administration explained the legal authority used to justify the strike or whether U.S. forces attempted to communicate or even warn the passengers on the boat.
The strike killed 11 people, all of whom were "bad" actors, Trump said. The president also posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames ...
"It gives us legal authorities to target them in ways you can't do if they're just a bunch of criminals. It's no longer a law enforcement issue. It becomes a national security issue," Rubio said in an interview last month.
But some experts suggest the designation is legally murky. The FTO designation does not typically constitute an authorization to use deadly force and is primarily a tool to restrict financial and material support to terrorist groups ...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-grounds-strike-alleged-drug-boat-murky/story?id=125225186
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