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JD Vance defends Venezuelan boat strike as ‘best use of our military’

Ariana Baio in New York
Trump posts footage of the Venezuelan ‘drug boat’ being blown up
  • US Vice President JD Vance has defended the US military’s strike on a Venezuelan boat on 2 September, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people.
  • The Trump administration asserts the vessel was operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and was involved in drug trafficking.
  • The legality of the strike in international waters, and the absence of due process, has been questioned by legal experts and politicians, with some suggesting it could constitute a "war crime."
  • Vance said on his official X account that he "doesn't give a s***" if it is labelled a "war crime," a comment that drew sharp criticism from GOP Senator Rand Paul.
  • Vance said: “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.”
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