Former US Official Urged Sinking Drug Smuggling Boats, Sources Say

A senior U.S. Justice Department official previously advocated for sinking boats suspected of drug smuggling instead of prosecuting their crews, according to three sources. Emil Bove, the former acting deputy attorney general, made the remarks months before the U.S. military started conducting air strikes on such vessels. The sources told Reuters that Bove suggested the government should "sink the boats" on at least three separate occasions. These comments occurred between November 2024 and February 2025 during discussions about maritime drug cases. All three witnesses requested anonymity to speak freely about the private discussions. The U.S. military later began a campaign of air strikes against boats suspected of transporting illegal drugs.