Dem senator accuses Pentagon of murder with boat strikes targeting drug traffickers

Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine accused the Pentagon of conducting “murder” through boat strikes targeting alleged drug traffickers, in a letter to President Donald Trump discussed in the report. Kaine said his review of directive documents and legal support indicates the U.S. has killed people beyond those that authorities believed could be lawfully targeted. The article cites an Aug. 3 letter where Kaine referenced a Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel opinion and classified targeting materials tied to a July 2025 directive and an EXORD issued in October 2025. A spokesperson, Anna Kelly, responded that strikes were against designated narcoterrorists and that the administration expects continued action.