Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb has said President Donald Trump’s attacks on the judiciary seek to “weaken one of the only remaining pillars standing up to him.” Discussing the legality of strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea, Cobb-a senior administration lawyer in Trump’s first term-said Americans were concerned about the president’s “unprecedented” abuses of power. “The Constitution, really, is not adequate to deal with a president as evil as Trump is-somebody who desires to accumulate and abuse power,” Cobb said. Why It Matters Since early September, the United States has carried out strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean against alleged drug boats that have killed at least 83 people. According to the Trump administration, the attacks are legitimate, with Trump deploying his authority as commander in chief to take action against a “designated terrorist organization.” The U. S. has deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier and its strike group to the Caribbean Sea as the military’s campaign on alleged drug smuggling vessels continues. The intensive military buildup is seen as a way to pressurize Venezuela’s authoritarian socialist leader, Nicolás Maduro. The U. S. has accused him of heading a drug cartel, which he denies. What To Know On Sunday, Cobb discussed the president’s actions on MS NOW’s The Weekend, “The main concern is always his resort to violence and authoritarianism.” He cited Trump’s deployment of the National Guard as an example, adding, “Never before in American history, I don’t think, have most Americans been as concerned about their president and his demented narcissism leading him toward revenge and violence. Trump’s abuses of power are unprecedented,” the attorney added, saying the administration was committing war crimes in Venezuela and Colombia. “There is a war, and we should be very concerned about it,” Cobb said. “Lawyers and judges-and, certainly, soldiers this week-should understand that they don’t have to follow illegal orders.” He said of the strikes on alleged drug boats: “There is no question under international law and domestic law that what’s going on in those countries is murder. There’s one standard-which is self-defense, imminent harm-that would allow you to kill civilians in a war or during peace time. “And keep in mind, none of these people, if they were in the United States with a million times the amount of drugs that are on those tiny boats-they would be arrested and detained and they would go to prison. They would not be killed.” Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, previously told Newsweek: “The U. S. is engaged in a counter-drug cartel operation to advance President Trump’s pledge to secure our border, combat narco-terrorists, and stop the flow of deadly drugs into our country. “Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela; he’s a fugitive of American justice who undermines regional security and poisons Americans.” What People Are Saying Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement: “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U. S. and international law, with all actions in complete compliance with the law of armed conflict.” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said in English during a meeting with labor unions in Caracas last month: “Yes peace, yes peace forever. Peace forever. No crazy war, please!” What Happens Next.
https://www.newsweek.com/cobb-constitution-not-adequate-trump-11096896
Tag Archives: narco-terrorists
Hegseth: U.S. Strike in Caribbean Kills 3, Warns Narco-Traffickers ‘We Will Kill You’ [WATCH]
The U.S. military conducted a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of three men aboard the boat, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced. He described the vessel as operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” according to Fox News.
Hegseth shared the news in a post on X, accompanied by a short unclassified video clip showing the vessel being struck. He confirmed that the strike occurred in international waters and that no U.S. forces were harmed during the operation.
“Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth wrote. “The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters. No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike, and three male narco-terrorists who were aboard the vessel were killed.”
The video footage of the strike was included in the announcement, marking the latest in a series of U.S. maritime strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels. This campaign began in September and has involved multiple strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. According to Hegseth’s statement and various reporting outlets tracking the operations, approximately 69 to 70 people have been killed cumulatively in these strikes.
Hegseth framed the operation as part of an intensified U.S. effort under the Trump administration to disrupt maritime narcotics routes. In his post, he issued a blunt warning to traffickers:
“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you.”
He also reiterated the administration’s messaging that equates drug cartels to extremist threats. President Donald Trump has previously referred to “the cartels as the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere.”
These operations have raised questions from lawmakers and oversight officials, who are seeking more details about the legal basis for the strikes, the identities of the groups designated as terrorist organizations, and the evidence linking specific vessels to narcotics trafficking. Some senators and watchdog groups have pressed the administration for the underlying legal opinions and intelligence supporting the use of lethal force in international waters.
Pentagon officials maintain that the strikes aim to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and to target organizations labeled by the administration as threats to U.S. security. Hegseth’s release of video footage from the latest strike follows a pattern of the Defense Department posting short clips on public platforms to document these operations.
Critics argue that the footage and official statements are insufficient substitutes for transparent and verifiable disclosures about targets and the legal authorities involved.
The Trump administration has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing maritime actions against trafficking networks until what officials describe as the “poisoning of the American people” ends. Hegseth’s warning and the announcement of another lethal strike highlight the administration’s willingness to use military force at sea as a key component of its anti-drug strategy.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/11/hegseth-u-s-strike-in-caribbean-kills-3-warns-narco-traffickers-we-will-kill-you-watch/
Hegseth declines to discuss possible US strikes in Venezuela, blames Dems on troop pay amid shutdown
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declined to say whether the U.S. is preparing military strikes on Venezuela, while blasting Democrats over the ongoing shutdown that has delayed the federal government from paying U.S. troops.
The U.S. military has carried out more than a dozen strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in international waters near Venezuela, killing dozens of suspected narco-terrorists. Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group have been ordered deployed to the U.S. Southern Command region. These escalations have raised questions about whether the U.S. may be lining up to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
A reporter asked Hegseth on Saturday at a gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, if the United States was planning to strike inside Venezuela.
“Appreciate the question, but of course, we would not share any amount of operational details about what may or may not happen,” Hegseth said to reporters.
### Senators Look to Block Trump from Engaging in ‘Hostilities’ in Venezuela
President Donald Trump said Friday that he was not considering strikes inside Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House both pushed back against reports citing unnamed “sources” claiming any such plan was in motion.
Hegseth was also asked if there was an ethics review for an anonymous $130 million donation that was made to pay troops while the government is shut down. Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and a major financial backer of President Donald Trump, made the donation, according to The New York Times.
“We are very grateful for generous Americans who would be willing to ensure that U.S. troops are paid,” Hegseth said. “And we’re thankful to President Trump and Vice President Vance and everyone, [director of the Office of Management and Budget] Russ Vought, and others who made sure, and our department did make sure, that no matter what’s happening, the troops are getting paid.”
Hegseth emphasized that getting troops paid is a priority of the president and slammed Democrats for not voting to reopen the government.
“Democrats are not contributing to that,” Hegseth said about the troops getting paid.
### Trump Touts US Strike as Maduro Slams Military ‘Threat’ off Venezuela
“President Trump’s making that happen and that’s an important outcome, because the work we’re talking about right here, across our country, certainly the Department of War is front and center of that,” he said.
The pause in funding stems from the October 1 shutdown after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a spending agreement in time for the end of fiscal year 2025. This came after a short-term extension of fiscal year 2025 funding, aimed at keeping the government open through November 21, passed the House mainly along party lines earlier in September.
Timothy Mellon, a grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, is a strong backer of Trump who gave tens of millions of dollars to groups supporting the president’s 2024 campaign. Last year, he made a $50 million contribution to a super PAC supporting Trump, marking one of the largest single donations ever disclosed, the New York Times noted.
Hegseth was also asked about reports that the United States was planning a “show of force” in response to recent Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. He said those reports are not in line with what’s happening currently.
“[Indo-Pacific Commander] Admiral Papara and I are in close coordination at all times, ensuring we’ve got capabilities where we need them, when we need them, but those specific reports are not in keeping with what’s happening right now,” Hegseth said.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/hegseth-declines-discuss-possible-us-strikes-venezuela-blames-dems-troop-pay-amid-shutdown
Blowing Up the Drug-Laden Sub in the Caribbean
President Donald Trump announced that the two survivors from a U.S. strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, suspected of carrying drugs, are being sent back to their home countries for prosecution.
“The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution,” Trump posted on his social media platform Saturday afternoon.
Trump clarified that the vessel targeted was a submarine, noting that U.S. intelligence indicated it was carrying fentanyl and other illegal narcotics.
Repatriating the alleged drug traffickers avoids what could have been a messy legal battle for the administration and a potential challenge to Trump’s ongoing “war” against the cartels. Under U.S. law, unarmed combatants held in military custody are allowed to contest their detention in court, which could complicate the situation.
The OSINT Report added further details: “The U.S. Department of Defense has posted footage showing a drone strike carried out Thursday against a cartel drug semi-submersible, not a submarine as claimed by some officials, in the Southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.” However, such vessels are commonly referred to as subs.
According to U.S. intelligence, the vessel was loaded with illegal drugs, including fentanyl, and was traveling along a known narcotrafficking transit route toward the United States.
The strike resulted in the deaths of two narco-terrorists, while two others survived and were later rescued by the U.S. Navy. These survivors are set to be returned to their home countries of Colombia and Ecuador for further legal action.
https://www.independentsentinel.com/blowing-up-the-drug-laden-sub-in-the-caribbean/