Plane used in boat strike painted to look like civilian aircraft
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- The U.S. military plane used to strike a drug-smuggling boat off Venezuela was painted to resemble a civilian aircraft and carried munitions internally, raising concerns about violations of Pentagon rules against disguising combatants as civilians.
- The Trump administration justified the strikes as part of an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, but U.S. military law prohibits "perfidy," or feigning civilian status to engage in combat, as it endangers genuine civilians.
- The strikes, which began in September and resulted in over 115 deaths, culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges, prompting congressional scrutiny.
- The Senate is preparing to vote on a war
