Perfidy on the High Seas

Hernandez was found guilty of drug trafficking, after a three week trial in a USA court.
No evidence was given by the White House when asked for proof of the alleged 'set up' by Biden

My goodness, what to believe?

Oreo

I think if the boat had been an innocent fishing boat then the world would know by now.
These narco boats contain armed vicious men, don’t waste any tears on them.

I think if the boat had turned out to be an innocent fishing boat it’s very unlikely that the world would know by now.

Do you think Trump would tell us?

LemonJam

Ronib 15.09: 'Maybe Trump felt that the supply of cocaine had been sufficiently disrupted and that there were mitigating circumstances to pardon Hernandez. No idea. But the fact that Trump pardoned Hernandez doesn’t mean that he will be free to resume cocaine smuggling".

I guess there is data to show whether supply of cocaine has actually been sufficiently disrupted from Honduras to US? But I yes we are only to speculate on Trump's motives. Of course factually Hernandez is now to resume drug trafficking now out of prison but fingers crossed he won't.

I still think Trump issuing so many pardons to a significant number of drug traffickers is very strange and a contradictory message to send to the world at best.

The vast majority of drugs smuggled out of Columbia goes through the eastern pacific route, 74 %
Only 16% goes through the western Caribbean/ Atlantic route.
Trump’s invasion made no difference whatsoever.

Allira I did read your link and yes that is the way it should be done. The UK way.

Ronib 15.09: 'Maybe Trump felt that the supply of cocaine had been sufficiently disrupted and that there were mitigating circumstances to pardon Hernandez. No idea. But the fact that Trump pardoned Hernandez doesn’t mean that he will be free to resume cocaine smuggling".

I guess there is data to show whether supply of cocaine has actually been sufficiently disrupted from Honduras to US? But I yes we are only to speculate on Trump's motives. Of course factually Hernandez is now to resume drug trafficking now out of prison but fingers crossed he won't.

I still think Trump issuing so many pardons to a significant number of drug traffickers is very strange and a contradictory message to send to the world at best.

AGAA4

There are legal ways to combat drug smuggling and illegal ways. Trump opts for the latter.
We should always fight for the laws to be maintained otherwise we are little better than the criminals themselves.

There are legal ways to combat drug smuggling
Which is how the UK deal with it.

ronib

Mmm what do you assume the cargo is Cossy? Bananas?

Haha I cannot assume it’s anything actually, because I don’t know! There’s no real evidence that Trump knew, none he’s sharing anyway.

I was always taught, never assume, it make an ass out of u and me. Haha.

There are legal ways to combat drug smuggling and illegal ways. Trump opts for the latter.
We should always fight for the laws to be maintained otherwise we are little better than the criminals themselves.

It would have been permissible to have boarded the ship if it was not flying a flag, I think, and inspected the cargo, to ascertain if it was legal or non-legal.

ronib

Mmm what do you assume the cargo is Cossy? Bananas?

Fish?

Cossy

David49

The boats are ordered to stop, they try to outrun the warship so it is assumed they are drug boats and they get sunk, sounds good to me

If I was ordered to stop, like any sensible person I would stop

Mmm It is assumed they are drug boats?

Where exactly are these boats ? International waters or USA waters?

International waters.

You see a plane which is camouflaged and you know not what it is or where it is from or what its intentions are, what would you do?
It's not so easy to stop a boat or ship either.

Mmm what do you assume the cargo is Cossy? Bananas?

David49

The boats are ordered to stop, they try to outrun the warship so it is assumed they are drug boats and they get sunk, sounds good to me

If I was ordered to stop, like any sensible person I would stop

Mmm It is assumed they are drug boats?

Where exactly are these boats ? International waters or USA waters?

Whitewavemark2

David49

The boats are ordered to stop, they try to outrun the warship so it is assumed they are drug boats and they get sunk, sounds good to me

If I was ordered to stop, like any sensible person I would stop

No ship can outrun an aeroplane.

it is assumed they are drug boats

Never assume anything, especially if it means lives are lost.

Whitewavemark2

So those who are congratulating Trumps actions - can we assume that you are supportive of law breaking and anarchy?

Because that is what we are talking about.

As part of my working life I was active in the fight against the drug trade, cooperating with our European partners, but we always and still do work under the rule of law. I would never have had it any other way.

We are a civilised group of nations. Let’s keep it that way.

As part of my working life I was active in the fight against the drug trade
It does seem to me that, despite all our efforts, we were fighting a losing battle but the answer is not piracy on the high seas, shooting first, asking questions later.

A quick google search suggests that Trump is keen to overturn Biden’s decisions and that Hernandez may have been harshly treated.

David49

The boats are ordered to stop, they try to outrun the warship so it is assumed they are drug boats and they get sunk, sounds good to me

If I was ordered to stop, like any sensible person I would stop

No ship can outrun an aeroplane.

Maybe Trump felt that the supply of cocaine had been sufficiently disrupted and that there were mitigating circumstances to pardon Hernandez. No idea. But the fact that Trump pardoned Hernandez doesn’t mean that he will be free to resume cocaine smuggling. Strange occupation for a president ?

Ronib 10.33 "The reasons for Trump’s actions seem highly laudable. Drugs kill many people".

Then why has Trump pardoned and granted pardons to a significant number of drug traffickers? E.g. just one recent example December 2025 Trump freed the former Honduras President Hernandez who had been convicted of helping smuggle more tha 400 tons of cocaine into the US.

The boats are ordered to stop, they try to outrun the warship so it is assumed they are drug boats and they get sunk, sounds good to me

If I was ordered to stop, like any sensible person I would stop

The legal point is that an aeroplane was camouflaged? But even if it had appeared in the sky without camouflage, and started to bomb the drug carrier for good reason, what is the difference?

Btw, I worked one day a week in a drug rehab unit, with or without violent drug smugglers, many people choose to misuse both legal and illegal drugs, that is a whole different thread for debate.

This thread isn’t about stopping or not stopping drug smuggling, it’s about the way in which it was done and whether that was legal.

ronib

Clearly all previous attempts to curb the illegal drug trade were not fully successful. So why not ramp up the enforcement process? It should have a net benefit? More people alive at the end of the day. Or do we all have to conform to denigrating Trump at every turn?

I’m not aware of the other previous actions Trump has taken to combat drug smuggling? Maybe you can point me to some of them?

Again, no one here has, to my knowledge, supported violent drug smugglers nor think no action should be taken.

Clearly all previous attempts to curb the illegal drug trade were not fully successful. So why not ramp up the enforcement process? It should have a net benefit? More people alive at the end of the day. Or do we all have to conform to denigrating Trump at every turn?

ronib

What’s civilised about the number of deaths caused by illegal drug taking?

Again, no one here is saying drug smuggling is ok or that the smugglers are “civilised”

You’re simply deflecting Trump’s actions and normalising them.

WE are the civilised beings, yes, we should fight and stop wrong doing, but within the law.

How many more times are people going to justify killings and illegal actions, breaking international law, because it stops the bad people? Sounding more and more like Trump everyday