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Zeteo U.S. Politics

Trump’s Illegal Boat Bombings Are Just ‘Murder for Murder’s Sake,’ U.S. Official Says

Donald Trump’s boat strikes aren’t working – because they’re ‘not actually designed to end the fentanyl crisis,’ a senior administration official tells Zeteo.

Asawin Suebsaeng's avatar
Prem Thakker's avatar
Asawin Suebsaeng and Prem Thakker
Jul 12, 2026
∙ Paid
Photo from U.S. Southern Command video posted on June 21, 2026.

Even as national media coverage of it ebbed since last year, Donald Trump’s “Murder Inc.” at sea never stopped. As of last month, the Trump-Vance administration is still conducting its (almost certainly criminal) lethal bombing campaign against supposed “narcoterrorist” drug boats. The killing spree shows no sign of abating.

Sources familiar with the situation tell Zeteo that President Trump wants more of them and has talked to key officials in recent weeks about expanding operations. He still goes over menus of different plans and boat routes to target. He and his administration keep propagandizing about how they’re winning this war, making the U.S. safer, saving tens of thousands of lives per strike, and keeping illicit narcotics off of American streets, all without actually knowing who they’re killing.

But the bombings aren’t just illegal or wrong. According to U.S. intel and government data described to Zeteo by several American officials and others familiar with the situation, the killing also isn’t working. At all. And the White House knows this.

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