I've read criticism that it was illegal based on examples like a Nazi U-boat captain killing survivors of a torpedoed vessel, but the Allies routinely straffed Japanese troops after sinking their ships. So what's the deal?

It was wrong then and it is wrong now.

America should be looking at why its people require drugs in the first place, why do they want to ruin their lives, why do parents fail to educate their children about the harm of drugs. Stopping the supply will not stop the despair.

It's not up to us to decide whether or not it was justified. We have no say in what Donald Trump does. We have enough problems with Albanese.

But, if you want an in-passing reply, my answer is yes. Drug runners are absolute scum, whose activities put them beyond the law and decency. Just because such summary justice hasn't occurred before, doesn't mean it is not right.

The US, any country, has the right to protect itself from any outsiders intending to do harm to its citizens. The now corrupt, weak and ineffectual legal system in most Western countries means that tougher measures need to be employed.

Snivelling about rough and ready dealing with criminals is just another Western weakness.

America should be looking at why its people require drugs in the first place,
Yuyutsu,
That applies particularly to Australia the Number one country per capita of drug abuse.
And, yes the shooting is justified !
Also, medical support for overdoses should only be provided if private health insurance pays for it.

It may not have been illegal under international law for a NAZI U boat captain to machine gun survivors of torpedoed vessels during WWII, but it became a part of international law following WWII in 1949.

1949 Second Geneva Convention, Article 12: States that wounded, sick, and shipwrecked persons at sea must be "respected and protected" and treated humanely, regardless of the cause of the shipwreck.
http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gcii-1949/article-12/commentary/2017

1977 Additional Protocol I, Article 42: Prohibits attacking a person parachuting from an aircraft in distress.
Exception: This protection does not apply to persons parachuting from aircraft who are clearly engaging in hostile acts upon reaching the ground.

Was the US justified in killing the survivors of the Venezuelan drug boat sinking?
No, it wasn't even justified in attacking them.
This is what the Coast Guard is for.

You need to look at it this way.
The United States talks about Rule of Law, and a Rules Based Order.
Let's begin with the idea of due process, if you are accused of a crime, you get your day in court.
Even if the drug trafficker was caught red handed with the drugs in American waters, he'd still be afforded his day in court.

What Trumps doing,
This would be extrajudicial killing, but it's not even in US waters.
They even conducted a double tap strike on survivors, which is another separate crime.
And if you go through the U.S. own government documentation, they say that Venezuela is not a Narco State
The whole thing about drugs is fabricated to provide a cover story to overthrow Maduro.

That's what we get from the U.S. Department of War Crimes.

Dear Indyvidual,

«That applies particularly to Australia the Number one country per capita of drug abuse.»

So do you know or at least have any hypothesis why that is?

Yuyutsu,
It was on some News about 4 months ago & it is common knowledge also. They may now be in 2n place anymore or even 3rd but they were & are in the top ranks.
Why, are you looking for excuses ?
Also, the Geneva convention doesn't appear to advertise the warfare on countries with drug abuse from within.

Thanks for your perspective AC. As much as I dislike drug dealers and Maduro, we all lose in a race to the bottom. It reminded me of Duterte, but a Phillipino friend told me that the drug kingpins in the Philippines are his mates.

Dear Indyvidual,

«Why, are you looking for excuses ?»

No, I was just curious.
And if we knew the cause then it will also be easier to find the remedy.

Did not Trump declare war on drugs being shipped to America. IS the war on boats or individuals.
In any case why would you let a drug smuggler live.
America's Trump has not said a lot about from where the fentinal supplies originate from. That says something of it's own.

"Did not Trump declare war on drugs being shipped to America. IS the war on boats or individuals."

Did George W Bush declare a War on Terror and then invade Iraq on false pretenses of non-existent WMD's?
(Wars for Israel in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran)

Did George W Bush then give a Presidential order to conduct torture in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay?
(That's where the slide may have started.)

It wasn't about terror then, and it's not about drugs now.

"In any case why would you let a drug smuggler live."
- Depends, Australian governments a drug dealer now you know.
After years of courts, fines and finger waving they decided to get in on the profits instead.

Just tell the doctor you're having trouble sleeping.
And you'll be down the cannabis dispensary being offered your choice of high grade weed to limit your suffering before you know it.
And you'll probably sleep right through till Sunday too.

"America's Trump has not said a lot about from where the fentanyl supplies originate from. That says something of it's own."
- Fentanyl comes mostly from Mexico, and most drugs are shipped on the Pacific side, not the Gulf of Mexico side.

Were the drug dealers attacked by an Apache? Not having the ability to apprehend the suspects was the only reason I could think of for them being strafed. I doubt that the US military could bury something like this, so we should see some answers.

I like the perspective of this retired general.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2BSp8MoEak

Hi Fester,
Hodges comments on Trump administrations attacks on Venezuelan boats were pretty accurate, nothing for me to disagree with.
He more or less stated exactly what I'd already stated here.

But you have to be careful of these retired TV generals.
They get their gigs on the TV, but the second they don't speak what the TV channel expects them to say, they are no longer offered a segment, so in many ways they're sellouts.

I'm going to add this interview, it's a few days old.
Just to demonstrate that there is disagreement between the experts that get TV segments and those that don't.
Some of the people I sometimes watch such as Scott Ritter and Douglas MacGregor used to have regular TV segments, until their opinions no longer followed the official narrative, then they were replaced for others that did say what the network wanted the viewers to hear.

SHOWDOWN: HODGES v. DAVIS / Ukraine Russia War, Beginning & Ending
http://youtu.be/kcpg4EtLu-w

Thanks AC,

Hodges has always been overly optimistic about Ukraine, but I think that the case for Russia is also overstated and agree with Hodges that Russia will never respect peace terms and agreements. Much like the arguments here.

It is pretty wild though that the US military is taking out drug boats with missiles, but thank goodness for the separation of powers in democratic countries and the accountability it ultimately brings.

The distance between Venezuela and the U.S. mainland is between 2400 and 4000 klms.
Do those speedboats leave together with their own refueling ships?
- because they're certainly not going to make 2400klms on one tank of petrol.

'never keeping to any agreement'

I think this is just a narrative and it's bs.
'Accuse your enemy of that which you are doing'

Every step of the way, its been the West who fails to keep it's word.
Did you know Putin graduated from Leningrad State University in 1975 with a law degree?

The big question on the battlefield right now is
Can the Russian Armed Forces take Kostiantynivka in 10 days?

Here you go Fester, watch 3 minutes of this and you'll understand whats happening along the line of contact.

http://youtu.be/HSuU-YcEweU

Now watch 3 minutes of this and you'll see that Syrskyi states that Ukraine will not voluntarily give up territory without a fight, meaning, they;re willing to send another 100k Ukrainians to die just to save face with the Russian demands, which will be achieved one way or the other anyway.

http://youtu.be/Z1p5hsoynvY

It also tells you that Ukraine is not ready for peace yet, as they are in no position to negotiate or dictate any terms or least of all win back any territory militarily.

Between the above 2 videos you'll understand that Ukrainian troop morale is extremely low, bordering on military collapse, refusal to follow orders and stand and fight, instead falling back without permission or surrendering if encircled.
They don't even have any food, and wounded aren't being evacuated and are left to die.

Was it wrong to shoot the boat- No
Was it wrong to shoot the people once the boat was destroyed- Spies and combatants not in uniform aren't subject to enemy combatant status.

Of course no matter what President Trump does the Woke Marxist's will say he's wrong. Woke Marxist's said the same thing about Reagan even though he rescued his wife from the Macarthur Marxist purges.

At some point you have to shut your ears against those crying wolf.

Armchair Critic said "Between the above 2 videos you'll understand that Ukrainian troop morale is extremely low, bordering on military collapse, refusal to follow orders and stand and fight, instead falling back without permission or surrendering if encircled. They don't even have any food, and wounded aren't being evacuated and are left to die."

Answer- Doesn't Zelensky care about his own people? It would be interesting to know what the Azov Battalion is doing at the moment, for perspective, although it's had it's leadership replaced as I understand.

Hi AC,

"It also tells you that Ukraine is not ready for peace yet, as they are in no position to negotiate or dictate any terms or least of all win back any territory militarily."

My view of this is that Russia's invasion has no justification whereas you might justify it on the basis of Ukraine having an illegitimate regime. So what then of Venezuela? Would the United States be justified in helping end a gangster regime and return Venezuela to democracy?

I just listened to an interview with the latest peace prize winner and note that Maduro has been in touch with Putin for assistance. "Peas in a pod." I thought.

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cpwkvpr7n55o

And if we knew the cause then it will also be easier to find the remedy.
Yuyutsu,
The hypocrites would be cutting off their profit sources so, stays quo is feverishly maintained !