By Larry Horist
Ever since President Jefferson sent the American military to the “shores of Tripoli” to end piratical blackmail in the waters off the African coast, the United States has long been tasked with protecting the nation from foreign threats beyond American shores.
The most current manifestation is the aggressive strikes against drug trafficking vessels on the high seas. These operations, ordered under President Trump’s directive, have sparked a firestorm of controversy—not only because the Navy is sinking narco-boats with tons of illegal drugs, but more recently because of what has been called a “second tap.”
The first strike is straightforward. Drug-laden vessels identified by intelligence are destroyed before they can deliver their deadly cargo. Democrats and the left-wing media have been critical of the legitimacy of stopping shipments of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin that kill tens of thousands of Americans each year. (They always side with the bad dudes.)
Every boat sunk is a shipment that never reaches our streets. Every shipment carries death certificates for thousands of American citizens. Trump says each sunk boat saves 25,000 lives. Democrats say that is bullpoop. No matter. There will be deaths tied to each shipment – and Democrats are more interested in criticizing Trump than saving American lives.
The recent second strike has ignited a larger political and moral battle. Democrats and their allies in the left-wing media have rushed to label the action a “war crime.” They accuse Navy commanders, Navy SEALs and even Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of issuing or obeying an illegal order – committing a war crime. They demand prosecutions, tribunals, and international condemnation.
The Rush to Judgment
While most Democrats play their accusatory narratives in the media — court of public opinion — there is the problem. As of this writing, we do not yet know all the facts. The congressional testimony – as reported by those members of Congress who were briefed — is not only inconclusive, but also contradictory. Until the details are revealed, it is irresponsible—and dangerous—to make sweeping accusations of war crimes. Yet Democrats have already convicted an entire chain of command of war crimes in the court of public opinion.
This is not new. The radical left has a well-established contempt for America’s military – and law enforcement in general. From Vietnam to Iraq, they have been quick to sympathize with America’s enemies and slow to defend America’s defenders. In this case, they are extending sympathy to drug runners—men who knowingly transport poison that kills Americans by the tens of thousands.
Trump’s Doctrine: Narco-Traffickers as Enemy Combatants
President Trump has made his position clear. In order to address the issue with more than just talk, he has declared the drug traffickers to be enemy combatants. For certain, they are not innocent fishermen. They are not domestic criminals. They are not misunderstood migrants. They are the frontline forces in a terrorist drug war against the United States, armed not only with guns but with narcotics.
He has a compelling argument. Drugs kill more Americans annually than terrorist bombs and guns, car accidents, or domestic gun violence. If a foreign power launched missiles that killed 100,000 Americans a year, we would call it war. Why should drug cartels be treated differently?
The Left’s Bogus Claims
Democrats and their media allies insist that some of these boats may not be narco-ships — but fishermen or mere passengers. That is absurd. Intelligence, surveillance, and naval tracking are not guessing games. These vessels are identified precisely because they are carrying drugs == and those piloting them are the worst of the worst. To suggest otherwise is to insult common sense, the known facts and the competency of the entire U.S. intelligence community.
Even more far-fetched is the claim that some crewmen may have been forced into service because their families were kidnapped. There is not a scintilla of evidence for this. It is pure speculation, designed to tug at heartstrings and paint drug runners as victims. And why should that matter? What we do know for sure is that these men are bringing death to the American people. Whether they volunteered or were coerced, the cargo they carry is lethal. They are narco criminals
The Second Strike: A Complicated Issue
The second strike is more complicated issue. International law requires that combatants who surrender or are incapacitated be treated humanely. If survivors posed no threat, then attacking them raises serious questions. But those questions must be answered through investigation, not through partisan hysteria. The critics seem to believe that it would be better to leave anyone not killed in the initial shot to remain drifting in the open ocean until the sharks discovered them.
Damaging America’s Reputation
By rushing to label the Navy guilty of war crimes, Democrats are not only undermining our military—they are damaging America’s reputation abroad. They are feeding the propaganda mills of our enemies. If we convict our sailors in the press before facts are known, we weaken morale, embolden enemies, and erode trust in our institutions.
This is not about defending wrongdoing. If the second strike was unlawful, it must be addressed accordingly. But it must be addressed through proper channels, not through partisan attacks designed to score political points.
The Bigger Picture
The controversy reveals a deeper divide in American politics. One side sees drug traffickers as enemy combatants, deserving of the same treatment as terrorist guerrillas. The other side sees them as victims, deserving of sympathy and legal protection. One side prioritizes the lives of Americans destroyed by drugs. The other side prioritizes theoretical “rights” of those who deliver the drugs.
The strikes on drug trafficking vessels are saving innocent lives. Every boat sunk means fewer overdoses, fewer funerals, fewer shattered families. That is undeniable. The second strike raises serious questions, but those questions must be answered with evidence, not ideology.
Democrats and the left-wing media are wrong to sympathize with drug runners. They are wrong to accuse America’s defenders of war crimes without proof. In doing so, they reveal once again their historic contempt for America’s military and a disturbing willingness to damage our nation’s reputation for political gain.
Whether the second strike was wrong or not can be settled. Regardless, I still have no sympathy for those in the business of killing Americans by the thousands.
So, there ‘tis.
