Brian Finucane

Trump take fly fishing.

Oof.

Accountability and *talk of accountability* is critically important for preserving the rule of law.

2028 hopefuls should also promise accountability for the Trump administration's lawless killings in the Caribbean.

Not clear SOUTHCOM did the strikes, at least not clear to me.

Exclusive: Classified Justice Department opinion authorizes strikes on secret list of cartels, sources say | CNN Politics The Trump administration has produced a classified legal opinion that justifies lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, according to multiple peop...

Release the OLC Murder Memo

www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/p...

Persistent Resistance - Live - Gateshead Bensham Working Mens Club

Been on heavy rotation for lifting and workouts.

open.spotify.com/track/6EDKeT...

Trinidad and Tobago police investigating reports 2 citizens were killed in U.S. strike off Venezuela Police in Trinidad and Tobago said they have received reports that two of the country's citizens were killed in a U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat.

I will simply note that murder is a crime in all/most countries.

www.cbsnews.com/news/trinida...

This.

The strikes in the Caribbean are just lawless, gratuitous, performative slaughter.

Something like that.

The lawyer in chief calling these shots is not in fact a lawyer or listening to lawyers, so it is all rather messy.

The Trump administration has characterized this lawless violence as a "non-international armed conflict."

(It is not in fact an armed conflict.)

So apart from Common Article 3, the provisions of the Second Geneva Convention would not apply as a matter of treaty law under the admin's theory.

Exclusive: US carries out new strike in Caribbean and there are survivors, US official says By Phil Stewart October 16, 2025 11:06 PM UTC · Updated ago WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out a new strike on Thursday against a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, and in what appeared to be a first, there were survivors among the crew, a U.S. official told Reuters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer additional details about the incident, which has not been previously reported. Sign up here. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prior to Thursday's operation, U.S. military strikes against suspected drug boats off Venezuela killed at least 27 people, raising alarms among some legal experts and Democratic lawmakers, who question whether they adhere to the laws of war. The Trump administration argues the United States is already engaged in a war with narcoterrorist groups from Venezuela, making the strikes legitimate. Videos presented by the Trump administration of previous attacks showed vessels being completely destroyed, and there have been no prior accounts of survivors. The strikes come against the backdrop of a military buildup in the Caribbean that includes U.S.-guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6,500 troops as President Donald Trump escalates a standoff with the Venezuelan government. On Wednesday, Trump disclosed he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Reportedly a 6th lawless US strike in the Caribbean.

This time reportedly with survivors.

If true, will the US military rescue the survivors?

Will the US military seek to detain the survivors, and if so, on what legal basis?

A phony war with real violence.

www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

Venezuelan fishermen in fear after US strikes on boats in the Caribbean At least 27 people have been killed in US strikes on alleged "narco-boats" in the Caribbean.

Not great that fishermen fear being randomly murdered by the U.S. government.

Or that the U.S. President jokes about it.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

And the people the Trump administration is killing aboard those boats are civilians.

Because there is no armed conflict and no enemy combatants.

Just lawless, premeditated killing by the U.S. government.

You see, it was supposed to be a *secret* swastika flag

Trinidad citizens believed killed in US airstrike off Venezuela coast identified Rishi Samaroo and Chad ‘Charpo’ Joseph believed to have been on boat Trump alleged was carrying drugs to US

Further details regarding some of the possible victims of the latest US strike.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Reportedly a mix of Venezuelans, Colombians, and Trinidadians.

Seems likely to have been extremely expensive in any event.

"Journalists leaving an Oval Office event Wednesday asked the president who the proposed arch would be built for. He replied: 'Me.'"

Totally normal stuff for the sitting US president to be building monuments to themselves.

Not at all monarchical.

My first thought as well

huh

Laser focused on the most pressing affairs of state.

White House smearing domestic political opponents as "terrorists."

Did a new U.S. drone strike off Venezuela kill 2 Trinidadians? What family says What to know about the strike.

Trinidadians may have been amongst the unidentified supposed "narcoterrorists" killed by the Trump administration in the latest strike in the Caribbean.

www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...

Yes

The likely National Security Advisor under a Harris administration wrote a whole book about the folly of regime change.

The current National Security Advisor under Trump 2.0:

"Moar regime change!"

Exclusive: Venezuelan leaders offered U.S. a path to stay in power without Maduro A group of senior Venezuelan government officials, led by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge, who is president of the National Assembly, have quietly promoted a series of initiatives...

"A hardline faction led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio prevailed, warning that any agreement short of regime change would betray democratic principles."

A policy of regime change—what could go wrong?

Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...

Different figures in Trump 2.0 have different agendas w/r/t Venezuela, but it is significant that POTUS is focused on:

1) Immigration.

2) Mostly non-existent drug trafficking from VZ to the US.

Trying to do regime change in Caracas or further destabilizing VZ will likely exacerbate one of those.

YouTube video by CNN Trump authorizes CIA operations in Venezuela

Great segment here with @rgoodlaw.bsky.social.

Also, important observations from @natashabertrand.bsky.social about the dynamics of lawyering within DoD on the Caribbean strikes, including the sidelining of actual experts and reliance on the OLC license to kill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L062...

Trump says he has authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela The CIA has surged personnel to the Caribbean and Central America as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on drug cartels in the region, people familiar with the matter say.

“Agency officials are leery of being too closely involved with the strikes, which some lawmakers have said may violate U.S. and international laws, this person said.”

CIA reportedly not super keen on being close to DoD’s illegal strikes in the Caribbean.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

When the US government listens to foreign opposition leaders advocating for regime change, the results are guaranteed to be fantastic. See, e.g. Iraq.

The Article I Crisis

The End of the World

It’s great.

Read the book as a kid and really appreciated the show.

Pretty good soundtrack as well.

open.spotify.com/track/7AQHsl...