Trump Rejects Report of Second Strike on Alleged Drug Vessel

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed a news report alleging he authorized a second military strike on survivors of an attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in 2018. The incident, first reported in 2021, involved a U.S. Navy ship firing on a suspected narcotics vessel in the Caribbean Sea. A new investigation alleges that after the initial attack, a second strike was ordered on survivors in the water. U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen stated this alleged follow-up action could constitute a war crime. International law prohibits attacking people who are defenseless or who have surrendered. Trump, who was president at the time, called the latest report "fake news." He stated that the boat was a "drug boat" that had been appropriately dealt with. The U.S. Department of Defense has not commented on the new allegations.