Since Sept. 2025, the U.S. military has claimed 67 lives across 16 airstrikes on boats suspected of transporting narcotics. The first attack was on Sept. 2, announced by President Donald Trump via his social media.
According to multiple news sources, the Trump Administration, under Pete Hegseth, carried out lethal strikes on vessels in international waters across the Pacific.
Seventeen boats have been destroyed in the effort to stop the flow of drugs into the United States of America by the Trump Administration.
From Sept. 2 to Oct. 17, there were seven strikes on boats in the Caribbean. On Oct. 22, the military reportedly struck two ships in the eastern Pacific, killing five.
On Oct. 28, strikes on four boats were reported, 14 killed and one reported survivor. On Oct. 29 a single strike killed four people. One Nov. 4, the most recent strike, two people were killed in an attack on a single vessel.
Current President Donald Trump has been vocal about these strikes over the past month, saying, “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.”
Some students here at Aliso are not sure if preventing the entrance of illegal drugs is the sole reason for these air strikes.
Maya Tata (11) thinks it is possible that they “are a distraction from the possible release of the Epstein files.”
President Trump also states he has the “legal authority” to carry out these air strikes. However, across the U.N., there have been debates on whether these strikes should continue being carried out. Many spokespeople have been saying they’re unacceptable, and preventive measures should be put in place.
Trump has confirmed his approval of several covert CIA operations to be held in Venezuela. Eight military ships have also been deployed in Latin American waters, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier.
Several members of the United States Congress have spoken out against the strikes, questioning why the alleged drug traffickers are not being tried in a court of law instead.
International law protects all people from arbitrary or discriminatory treatment by government agencies, so some have started to question whether our government is respecting their rights.
Some students are unaware of these strikes, despite their relevance and potential effects on students’ everyday lives.
Shiley Moeinzadeh (11) says, “I feel like this is a really important time in history and I don’t think enough people are informed about what our country’s leaders are doing.”
Moeinzadeh is not the only student who has expressed an interest in learning more about current events relevant to her, as an American. Students deserve an opportunity to learn about their government and its policies.
Schools need to help students become informed voters—students should be able to discuss relevant news with their peers, to develop a more well-rounded viewpoint that can be influenced by different perspectives.
