As the White House launches its eighth operation against alleged drug smugglers in international waters, there’s still no evidence to support its claims.
The first step was taken seven weeks ago. Donald Trump ordered a deadly military strike against a civilian boat in international waters, and according to the White House, the operation killed 11 people. The president justified the strikes by claiming the targets were boats smuggling drugs that would eventually reach the United States, but neither he nor his team presented any evidence — to the public or to Congress — in support of the claim.
It was the first, but not the last. The second came two weeks later, followed soon after by several more. Late last week, the Republican administration pointed to a seventh such strike, followed by an eighth, this time in the Pacific Ocean. The New York Times reported:
The Times’ report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC, noted the White House has officially claimed that the first seven strikes have collectively killed 32 people. If the latest reporting is correct, it suggests that the new total is nearly three dozen.
