Dem Rep Seth Moulton calls Trump’s drug-boat strikes ‘murder,' suggests US citizens will be next

WASHINGTON, DC: Democrat Rep Seth Moulton tore into the Trump administration over its increasingly aggressive campaign against Caribbean drug traffickers, which has already resulted in 22 narco-vessels being taken out this year.

Appearing on CNN on Sunday, Moulton accused President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth of crossing a legal and moral line.

“I mean, look, the President of the United States and his Secretary of Defense are conducting murder on the high seas,” Moulton said. “They’re committing murder, and Americans should care. Look, none of us like drug traffickers, but we have laws that say drug traffickers don’t get summarily executed.”

Moulton then insinuated that Trump was going to start killing US citizens in the same way. “Just give it time before Donald Trump starts doing this same kind of thing to people we do know right here at home," he said.

Democrats intensify attacks over Caribbean campaign

Moulton’s comments come as Democrat lawmakers continue hammering the administration over its handling of the strikes. A classified DOJ memo reported by The Wall Street Journal revealed that the White House designated fentanyl as a chemical weapon to legally justify the drug-boat operations.

Democrats stepped up their criticism last week when media outlets pushed what became known in MAGA circles as the “double-tap hoax,” alleging that Hegseth ordered Navy SEAL Team 6 to carry out a second lethal strike on two supposed “survivors” who remained on a partially destroyed drug boat.

That narrative collapsed once it was learned that narco-traffickers had actually climbed back onto the wrecked vessel to recover drugs, prompting the second strike.

President Trump responded by pointing out that more than 200,000 Americans died last year from drugs flowing across the US border.

This came shortly after six Democratic lawmakers released a video urging military personnel to “refuse illegal orders” from Trump. Days later, billboards carrying the same message appeared outside US Southern Command in Florida and Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Trump's new strategy is a hit

Despite the pushback, Trump’s campaign against Caribbean drug cartels appears to have broader public backing. Polling shows 60% to 70% approval for the use of military force against drug traffickers in the region.

The administration’s approach marks a major shift from previous federal policy. Traditionally, the Coast Guard led maritime drug interdictions and was bound by long-standing law enforcement protocols that only allowed warning shots and restrained force.

Trump began moving toward a new framework on his first day in office, signing an executive order that triggered a 14-day review to designate transnational criminal groups like Tren de Aragua (TdA) as foreign terrorist organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally designated TdA an FTO on February 20, changing the legal basis for operations from law enforcement to military action. 

Under the Pentagon’s war manual, individuals considered part of a non-state armed group engaged in hostilities may be targeted once identified. That standard is now shaping the Caribbean operations.

Rubio explained the move after the September 2 strike saying, “Instead of interdicting it, on the president’s orders, we blew it up. And it’ll happen again.”

Top admiral refutes claims of ‘kill everybody’ order

The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had ordered the military “to kill everybody” on a targeted drug boat, a claim Adm Frank “Mitch” Bradley directly rejected this week. 

According to Bradley, he and Hegseth watched the initial strike together, after which Hegseth departed for other duties. An hour later, personnel identified two drug runners still on the wreckage.

With other hostile vessels in the area and concerns that the traffickers could communicate by radio, Bradley ordered the second strike.