Letter to the editor: Trump kills 17 people without trial

Letter reprinted from the Brunswick Beacon, 09.25.25

On Sept. 2 Trump ordered U.S. forces to blow up a small boat in international waters, 2700 miles from U.S. shores. Trump claimed the 11 Venezuelans were drug smugglers headed to America. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they were “headed to Trinidad.” National security officials acknowledged they had turned around and were headed back to shore when fired upon. Venezuela accused Trump of murdering innocent civilians.

No attempt was made to warn, stop or arrest them. Rubio said, “Instead of interdicting it, on the president’s orders, we blew it up.” On Sept. 15 and 19, Trump killed six more people in two additional strikes.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) denounced Trump’s lawlessness: “It isn’t our policy just to blow people up,” Paul said, “We arrest people.” Paul added, “It’s just insane. You can’t blow up every ship you think might have drugs.”

Paul further explained, “even the worst people in our country, if we accuse somebody of a terrible crime, still get a trial. They get a lawyer. They get their day in court.” Paul was simply describing the Rule of Law. When Tyler Robinson turned himself in for the murder of Charlie Kirk, he was arrested and held for trial even though he admitted being the shooter and his DNA was on the gun.

The United Nations Law of the Sea prohibits countries from attacking vessels in international waters. Center for Constitutional Rights attorney Wells Dixon said, “Using military forces to kill alleged drug traffickers is an act of murder.” NYU law professor and former Pentagon lawyer Ryan Goodman called it, “the very definition of murder.”

Pete Hegseth, head of Trump’s newly renamed War Department, said his goal was “maximum lethality, not tepid legality.” JD Vance said, “I don’t give a [expletive] what you call it” and praised the killings. Paul responded, “What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial.”

Linda McConnell Baker

Leland