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Liam Tadeo and his dad Victor Martinez Nieto
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The Worst of The Worst

Well damn, we sure feel safer knowing ICE pulled 5-year-old Liam Tadeo and his construction worker dad Victor off Austin's streets on their way to a soccer game before Liam could start kindergarten the next day; also that they were held at a family concentration camp, ICE refused to let Liam's mother take him, and both father and son will "self-deport" to not further sully our pristine white shores. Question: How do these sick fucks sleep at night?

Thanks to the obscene $200 billion-plus gifted to DHS and ICE by their evil overlords, arrests of undocumented or at least unwanted immigrants surged to nearly 50,000 largely innocent people in July, a 15% spike from a month earlier and the regime's highest monthly arrest total to date. So yes, the sadists are still at it, just more quietly than when a psychotic Noem and Bovino were blasting out histrionic videos of daredevil agents dropping from helicopters onto apartment rooftops to grab terrified families - images reportedly, inexplicably "provoking a lot of ordinary people." Wusses, all.

Many recent arrests come during "traffic stops," increasingly with the help of partnering state and local law enforcement lured by "generous financial incentives," especially in Texas and Florida; ICE is also arresting more Haitians whose protections have been stripped away. Among those detained are over 6,200 kids, 10 times more than during Biden's tenure, despite ongoing, fantastical DHS claims they're going after the "worst of the worst" murderers, drug traffickers, sex offenders - and despite ghastly data showing up to 85% of ICE thugs themselves have sex offenses on their records, most against children. New data, like old data, also shows less than a quarter of those arrested have any criminal convictions.

Elsewhere, ICE abuses go on apace. A sailor aboard the troubled USS Lincoln said ICE has taken his father, who had a work permit, into custody. “Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” said a DHS statement "in the same support-our-troops spirit Trump is so famous for." In an interview, the mother, father and sister of Alex Pretti family said no officials have come forward in the last seven months to retract or apologize for the "disgusting" claims of "assassin" and "domestic terrorist" they made about Alex - "We still hear those words about our child,” said his mother Susan - nor have any criminal charges been filed against his killers.

Meanwhile, J.D. Vance just came to Maine to spew racist lies, flaunt his "trademark absence of charisma," and claim, "If you bring in millions and millions of illegal aliens and give them houses that ought to go by right to American citizens, it's going to increase the cost of housing for everybody else." He also dismissed ICE's killing of Colombian Johan Durán Guerrero, who had a social security card, two jobs, a wife and a three-year-old daughter. Worried residents, he said, should "have a little bit of perspective" to ensure "that poison stops coming into our country." Troy Jackson called J.D. "a dirtbag": "I mean, he had a life." As to Susan Collins, who declined to regret giving ICE "$70 billion more to pull this shit off": "I’m sick of your ‘concerns.’"

And on Aug. 16, brave ICE thugs stopped five-year-old Liam Tadeo - their second small Liam like the bunny-hat-wearing Liam Ramos in Minnesota - and his father Victor Martinez Nieto on their way to play soccer. Without bothering with the nicety of pretending it was a legit traffic stop, they asked Victor, originally from Mexico, if he had legal status. Candidly, he said no; in 2025, he'd been arrested by ICE, "voluntarily" left, then "criminally" reentered the U.S. to (horrors) be with his wife and son. Heart-rending video soon surfaced of Liam crying beside his father and trying to hold one of his hands, cuffed behind him, as Victor tried to console his tearful son, talking to him as they walked. It was the day before Liam was set to start kindergarten.

They were both taken to the for-profit Dilley concentration camp, which rights groups have repeatedly accused of medical neglect, poor living conditions and abuse. According to Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, their family's attorney, Victor begged ICE to release Liam to his mother Maria, also not a legal citizen, at home, or another member of the family. ICE refused, though DHS proudly, routinely declaims ICE "will place the children with a safe person the parent designates," like how they also contend Dilley is "retrofitted for families, with access to teachers, classrooms, and curriculum booklets...generously funded by the U.S. taxpayer." Instead, they had Victor sign papers in English he didn't fully understand, and booked both father and son.

Lincoln-Goldfinch says Maria is "desperate and distraught, separated from her child and worrying about his well-being." Back at their home, "It feels like when you go to someone’s house after a sudden death, and there’s a wake or a gathering. Everybody is just stunned." Maria released a statement: "Liam was supposed to start kindergarten this week. Instead he is (in) detention. He should be in school, playing soccer, and at home with his family." Saturday, CNN aired emotional video of her talking by phone to her five-year-old. “I love you so much and I miss you so much, my love,” she tearfully told Liam in Spanish. “Don’t despair, my love, okay?” Lacking options, Liam timidly responds, "Okay." One furious, horrified online comment: "Anyone!!??!!"

This week, Austin's KUT News reported Victor has decided to be deported to Mexico along with his son, rather than risk Liam being separated from him and placed in a dystopian regime's custody as an "unaccompanied migrant child.” Said Lincoln-Goldfinch, "His family did what any family would do: Agree." As Maria reportedly struggles to find a way to re-unite with her family - "My son is only five years old" - Americans fume about "sadistic barbarians harming humanity every single day." "How sick can these people be? I used to think merciless psychopathic villains were only found in movies and fiction," said one. Also, "America has concentration camps. I. Hate. It. Here." and, "That poor little boy, That poor family. I am so tired."

Meanwhile, Texas' Dem lawmakers have called for Liam to be released and for Dilley to be shut down. "I just sat with Liam's mother as she found out what it means to have your child held hostage by ICE. It was horrifying," wrote Rep. Greg Casar, who charged Liam's arrest showed Trump uses children “as bait and leverage to fuel his mass deportation machine.” "Liam should be starting kindergarten this week, and instead he's sitting in a trailer prison." Rep. Joaquin Castro said ICE denied his request to visit Liam at Dilley in what he called "shady stuff," and he vowed to return; he also cited human rights violations, privacy concerns, and untenable phone, video call and e-mail strictures: “I’m telling y’all, ICE is getting worse."

Because this is ghoul-filled America in 2026, Liam's aunt Patricia Resendiz has begun a Gofundme to help with legal expenses and her sister Maria's household costs, as Victor was the sole provider. "If we manage to get Liam and his dad to go free, Liam will also need psychological support, as the detention has left him traumatized. These funds will be to mitigate all aspects of child detention," she wrote. "The detention of Liam and my brother-in-law was cruel. They are not criminals - they were simply on their way to a soccer match. Liam is a beautiful, intelligent, and big-hearted little boy. My sister is devastated, as are we. Liam was detained right in front of my son, his cousin. My son told me that ICE agents said to Liam, 'You can't escape.'"

We feel safer already.

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A protester holds a sign reading "Climate Action Now" at BlackRock's office in New York City
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Dutch Pension Fund Pulls Nearly Half a Billion Euros From Climate 'Megapolluter' BlackRock

Pensioenfonds Recreatie just became the latest Dutch pension fund to ditch US-based BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager and a leading investor in climate-wrecking fossil fuels.

Recreatie, which is for workers in the Netherlands' recreation sector, last Friday named Cardano as the new manager of its €450 million—or $525 million—equity portfolio.

Xander den Uyl, a board member at the pension fund, told the Dutch publication Pensioen Pro that AF Advisors "assessed a long list of asset managers—including BlackRock—based on a dozen criteria," including cost as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policy, and Cardano was the strongest.

HUGE NEWS: Superpolluting firm BlackRock just lost ANOTHER $525 million in Dutch pension funds due to concerns over its funding of coal, oil, and gas. This is a massive win for Dutch pensioners – not to mention all living creatures on Earth. 🧵
Stop the Money Pipeline (@stopmoneypipeline.bsky.social) August 19, 2026 at 3:01 PM

BlackRock announced in February 2024 that it was transferring its Climate Action 100+ membership to its international arm and last year, just before anti-ESG President Donald Trump returned to power, it left the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative.

Den Uyl said BlackRock's ESG controversies did not help the asset manager in the review process but "were not decisive," and described the switch to Cardano as "a business decision."

Asked about the development by IPE, a BlackRock spokesperson said: "We respect the fund's decision. We remain proud to manage more than €350 billion on behalf of Dutch clients."

However, as journalists and campaigners have noted this week, Recreatie's decision followed similar moves by other Dutch pension funds. PFZW said last September that it had stopped investing in stock funds managed by BlackRock, and PME in December pulled around €5 billion, or $5.9 billion.

By abandoning "megapolluter" BlackRock, Recreatie "is sending an important message," Fossil Free Netherlands said Tuesday. "Powerful entities that backtrack on climate policy under pressure from Trump will lose European clients. It matters who you partner with as a pension fund—and whose power you strengthen."

"BlackRock is one of the largest investors in fossil fuel companies worldwide and profits from the genocide in Gaza," Fossil Free Netherlands stressed. "BlackRock is one of the largest shareholders in many companies and, as a result, wields enormous influence over both the stock prices of individual companies and the global economy. Moreover, the company consistently prioritizes short-term profits over what matters to us all: a livable climate, fair working conditions, and human rights."

🎉 En wéér breekt een pensioenfonds met mega vervuiler BlackRock.Pensioenfonds Recreatie haalt 450 miljoen euro weg bij de Amerikaanse vermogensreus, onder andere vanwege onvrede met BlackRocks klimaatbeleid.Lees hier meer: fossielvrij.nl/blackrock-vl...

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— Fossielvrij NL (@fossielvrijnl.bsky.social) August 18, 2026 at 8:54 AM

In addition to the decisions by PFZW and PME, Fossil Free Netherlands pointed to European pension funds cutting ties "with the equally unscrupulous and powerful State Street," and an ongoing search for asset managers for New York City's pension funds, the latter of which was also highlighted by US campaigners this week.

New York Communities for Change senior director Jose Gonzalez said in a statement that Recreatie's "exit from BlackRock is the latest in a string of international funds that understand the urgency and long-term fiduciary responsibility resulting from climate change," and comes after NYC Comptroller Mark Levine announced the search, which is considering "ESG factors and limits on carbon."

"In the US context, although heartened by Comptroller Levine's June announcement that the pension systems will bid out contracts for its money managers, it is imperative that the comptroller is serious about meeting its 2040 net zero goals," the campaigner said. "NYC should continue to lead domestically on divestment, and with other pension funds as a universal owner. The proof will be when the comptroller's office moves AUM out of dirty managers like BlackRock and State Street to cleaner ones."

Alec Connon, Stop the Money Pipeline coalition director, also welcomed that "as much of the country swelters under extreme heat and breathes in toxic wildfire smoke, more and more major pension funds are moving money away from the world's dirtiest asset managers."

"As it continues its search for a new asset manager," he added, "New York City and Comptroller Levine have a great chance to continue the funds' climate leadership by divesting from BlackRock and selecting a new asset manager that takes the climate crisis and climate financial risk seriously."

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
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'Canada Must Respond': Ottawa Slaps Retaliatory Tariffs on US Goods After Trump Trade War Escalation

Canada announced Tuesday that it will impose roughly $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs on American imports in response to President Donald Trump's 50% tariff on many of its goods after bilateral negotiations collapsed amid what Ottawa said were last-minute concessions that damaged the Canadian economy and intruded on its sovereignty.

The government of center-left Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said its countermeasures will cover roughly C$27.6 billion ($20 billion) worth of American products, with tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on hundreds of categories including steel, aluminum, appliances, clothing, seafood, electronics, furniture, and dairy. The measures are scheduled to take effect September 8. Ottawa also unveiled billions of dollars in assistance for workers and businesses expected to be hurt by the conflict.

"Canada must respond, and today we are, in a proportionate, targeted, and strategic way," Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said during a press conference in Ottawa. "Today I'm announcing that Canada will match the United States tariffs dollar for dollar, rate for rate."

"Canada's counter-tariffs are designed primarily to provide protection for Canadian industry impacted by US tariffs and allow them to compete against US products in the Canadian market," he added. "It's all about fairness, it's all about a level playing field, it's all about supporting Canadian workers and Canadian businesses."

It's also apparently about political calculation ahead of November's midterm elections, in which the congressional balance of power—and therefore Trump's ability to pursue his agenda—is at stake.

The administration's trade war with Canada is hitting industries concentrated in states where Republicans are fighting to defend vulnerable US Senate seats, including Maine's lobster industry and Michigan's auto sector, while Ohio and other Midwestern states face exposure via cross-border manufacturing and supply chains.

Whatever you call it, you just made all the goods we buy that come across our border more expensive. Michigan, he’s asking us to pay for his vanity trade war with our money.

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— Abdul El-Sayed (@abdulelsayed.bsky.social) August 25, 2026 at 7:12 AM

On Monday, Trump told Canadian leaders to "fall in line" or face "far WORSE" consequences than the new tariffs.

Carney retorted that Canadians are not "going to accept" an "attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the United States."

Canadian anger toward Trump has surged as the US president has repeatedly threatened Canada's sovereignty, including his frequent talk of making Canada the "51st state." Canadian political leaders and labor organizations have largely rallied behind a tougher response, while a growing grassroots boycott of US products has become a symbol of national resistance.

"Canadians understand that maintaining our sovereignty and independence will entail consequences and sacrifices," Calgary-based commentator Jen Gerson wrote Tuesday in The Guardian. "We did not bring this trade war on ourselves; we have merely refused to comply in advance to the unreasonable demands of a bad-faith actor. We will be punished for it. We have accepted this."

"If nothing else, let the [United States'] retaliation be a warning to the rest of the Western alliance," Gerson added. "Run, run. Protect yourselves. Move faster."

Trump—the self-proclaimed “peace president" who has attacked more countries than any other US leader in modern history—has menaced a string of allies. He's threatened to retake the Panama Canal, launch armed attacks on Colombia and Mexico, "bomb the shit" out of Oman, and take over Greenland.

Longtime US allies have taken notice—and action. Just as Russia's invasion of Ukraine spooked Sweden and Finland into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Trump's erratic aggression has pushed other countries in directions once thought highly unlikely. European Union membership for Iceland, long a politically moribund proposition, is now politically plausible amid developments including Trump's Arctic saber-rattling. US tariff pressure on India is even incentivizing India to seek closer economic ties with China, a traditional adversary.

Trump's increasingly aggressive and condescending rhetoric has left many Canadians feeling like their relationship with their southern neighbor has irreparably changed.

"America has changed, and... we will not return to our old relationship," Carney said after Trump announced the 50% tariffs over the weekend.

"You’re at war when you get attacked," the prime minister also said. "We got attacked."

Such rhetoric was once the realm of comedy, like the 1995 satirical film Canadian Bacon, directed by Michael Moore and starring John Candy and Dan Aykroyd, about a struggling US president who manufactures a shooting war with Canada, invasion and all, in hopes of rallying Americans around a foreign enemy.

The premise was absurd because the notion of Washington deliberately provoking its peaceful northern neighbor into war seemed preposterous. Many critics have noted that under Trump, absurdity has become the new normal.

On Tuesday, Trump said he's considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America," because, as one Bluesky account noted, "Trump likes to slap the name of America on everything."

President Trump likes to slap the name of America on everything. Gulf of Mexico? Gulf of America. Strait of Hormuz? Strait of of America. Lake Ontario? Lake America. Epstein Island? America Island.

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— Missing The Point (@missingthept.bsky.social) August 25, 2026 at 7:27 AM

"Gulf of Mexico? Gulf of America. Strait of Hormuz? Strait of America. Lake Ontario? Lake America," the account quipped, adding one more suggestion: "Epstein Island? America Island."

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren
News

'Still Crickets': Warren Reminds RFK Jr. of Pledge to Publish Secret Trump Deals With Big Pharma

Nearly two weeks after US Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote to the Trump administration's top health official in her latest attempt to get answers on "secret pricing deals" with Big Pharma, the Massachusetts Democrat said Wednesday that she is still waiting for the White House to make the terms of the agreements public.

On social media, Warren noted that she asked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to publicize the deals for medicines listed on President Donald Trump's direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, at a hearing in April.

"Will you make the deals available to us so we can see them, a little transparency?" the senator had asked.

Kennedy replied that he would be "happy to make the deals available except for proprietary information and trade secrets."

But as the agreements have appeared to do little to reduce drug costs, Kennedy responded to Warren's request in writing without providing "copies of the questionable agreements" or answers to her questions about "unproven claims that the website is saving patients money," the senator noted.

Instead, Kennedy's response raised "fresh questions about whether the Trump administration’s savings estimates are reliable."

Months after her initial request, Warren said Wednesday, "still crickets."

"Why should Americans believe this isn't just another Trump handout to fatten Big Pharma's pockets?" she asked.

As Common Dreams reported last week, experts have pointed to the Biden administration's policy allowing Medicare to directly negotiate the prices of some drugs as the major driver of falling prescription prices, which dropped 3.1% over the past year.

But Trump has claimed that the "most favored nation" deals his administration negotiated with 17 pharmaceutical companies were behind the falling prices, despite the fact that just one aspect of his MFN policy—TrumpRx—has been enacted, and the website has only been found to deliver savings on one out of 54 listed medications.

"While TrumpRx has since added a wider selection of generic drugs and added some information about generic alternatives to select pages, not every brand drug on TrumpRx with an existing generic alternative has that alternative readily available on the site, and a recent analysis finds that the TrumpRx deals represent only around 12% of brand drugs made by participating Big Pharma companies," wrote Warren to Kennedy on August 13. "Thus, consumers still risk overpaying for branded drugs despite the availability of cheaper generics."

She added that the administration recently made the "unfounded claim that TrumpRx has already saved more than $700 million for American patients," while saving the average user of prescription medications only about $5.

"Your response to me raises questions about whether even that estimate was made up out of thin air," wrote Warren, noting that Kennedy had admitted TrumpRx “does not store any patient, health, or prescription information."

She emphasized that drug manufacturers who signed the MFN deals with Trump "have benefited from huge tariff exemptions for branded drugs and received vouchers to fast-track approvals for new products. That is on top of billion-dollar handouts President Trump and Republicans in Congress gave to the pharmaceutical industry last year in their tax law."

"This is a huge win for giant drug companies that will reap billions in additional revenues from higher prices abroad, while doing absolutely nothing to lower drug prices for Americans in need," wrote the senator. "Americans are paying more on everything from school supplies to furniture thanks to Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, and instead of negotiating deals to help workers and American families, he’s using that leverage to go to bat for Big Pharma."

"Americans deserve to know whether the deals the administration is cutting with Big Pharma will lower their prescription drug costs—or just further enrich big drug companies," said Warren. "Despite my request that you make the administration’s MFN deals with giant drug companies public, and your commitment to do so, you have yet to follow through."

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Top Social Media Platforms
News

$17 Billion Meta Settlement 'Will Make Social Media Less Dangerous for Our Kids,' Says California AG

A bipartisan US coalition of 51 state and territorial attorneys generals on Wednesday announced a proposed agreement with Meta in which the tech titan will pay up to $17.1 billion in penalties and implement sweeping policy changes to settle claims its social media platforms were designed to be addictive to children.

"Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of difference for children and their families," Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms—and will do it within months."

The proposed settlement, which still requires federal court approval, ends a closely watched trial that began last week in Oakland, California. The underlying case was brought by 29 states, while the broader agreement announced Wednesday involves a much larger bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general and jurisdictions, bringing 47 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands together to take on one of Silicon Valley's most powerful companies.

Just three states are not part of the agreement. New Mexico—which already won a separate trial against Meta—Texas, and Florida, whose Republican attorney general, James Utheimer, scoffed at what he suggested is a paltry penalty.

"The payouts are peanuts compared to the profound harms Meta’s profit-driven addictive features inflicted on kids, and a slap on the wrist for a trillion-dollar [corporation] that’ll pay more to lawyers than to the states," Utheimer said on X. "We’ll see them at trial."

The litigants had accused Meta—which denies any wrongdoing—of using features including algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, notifications, social-comparison tools, and other engagement mechanisms to maximize the amount of time young people spend on its platforms. They also alleged that Meta illegally collected data from children under 13 and misled parents and the public about the safety of its products.

“Children in New York and nationwide are suffering while companies like Meta reap immense profits by intentionally addicting them to their social media platforms,” Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James said after the settlement was announced. “We cannot allow social media companies to continue fueling the growing rates of low self-esteem, isolation, and depression among our youth."

The proposed agreement imposes some of the most extensive restrictions on a major social media platform ever secured in the US. Users under age 18 would face a default two-hour daily limit on Facebook and Instagram, adjustable only by a parent. If other major social media platforms agree to comparable restrictions, the limit would fall to one hour. Meta would also institute a default overnight block from midnight to 6:00 am, again subject to parental override. Notifications would be disabled during overnight hours and during much of the school day.

Other provisions would prohibit Meta from displaying "like" and reaction counts to minors and from providing cosmetic procedure filters to users under 18. Teenagers would also receive an option to use a nonpersonalized feed rather than an algorithmic system designed to select content based on their engagement.

"With significant new resources for our communities and comprehensive restrictions on Meta’s platforms for young people, we are taking a major step towards breaking the cycle of social media addiction," James said. "This groundbreaking plan sets a standard of reforms for all social media platforms, and I will continue to work to extend these protections across the industry.”

Josh Golin, executive director of the child advocacy group Fairplay, issued a statement calling the agreement "a watershed moment for the growing movement to protect children from addictive and dangerously designed social media."

“This settlement also underscores the need for KOSA, the Kids Online Safety Act," Golin added. "As internal documents have shown over and over, Meta and other social media companies deliberately design their products to addict kids, and that is the root cause of so many mental health difficulties and serious online harms for minors."

Earlier this month, the Senate Commerce Committee advanced KOSA, which passed earlier in the House of Representatives and is supported by many child advocacy groups but opposed by the ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and other digital rights organizations that argue the bill's privacy risks outweigh its protections.

Wednesday's agreement comes after years of mounting evidence, lawsuits, whistleblower disclosures, and jury verdicts alleging that Meta knew its products could harm young users.

Earlier this year, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million after finding that the company violated state law by putting children at risk. A day later, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in a case brought by a young woman who said she had been harmed by addictive features on Instagram and YouTube.

Following Wednesday's announcement, Meta called on "peers" TikTok and YouTube to "join us in supporting teens" by agreeing to some of the same measures required by the settlement.

Responding to the proposed Meta settlement, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that “this is a monumental victory for online safety that will affect an entire generation of young people."

"After decades of putting profits before the health and wellness of children, this landmark settlement requires Meta to put our children’s safety and mental health at the forefront,” he continued.

“It is imperative that all social media apps protect our children, and I will continue working with my colleagues toward that end," Raoul added. "This settlement sends a message that we will not hesitate to take action to protect children online."

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Bombed boat
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'Lawless Killing Spree at Sea Resumes' as US Announces Fresh Boat Bombings

The US military has resumed its campaign of bombing alleged drug-trafficking vessels after a two-month pause in a campaign that many legal experts and human rights groups believe constitutes a murder spree.

In a Monday social media post, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said it carried out a "lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes" in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. Two people were killed as a result of the attack, SOUTHCOM claimed.

In announcing the strike, SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis Donovan said the attack was part of a campaign of "imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists—disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region."

Donovan's boasts about the effectiveness of the boat strikes in combating the drug trade come less than a month after a leaked a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) analysis revealed that the boat-bombing campaign has not "reduced the amount of cocaine entering” the country, as drug cartels have found alternate methods for shipping their product into the US.

With the latest two casualties, the boat bombing campaign launched nearly a year ago by President Donald Trump's administration has now claimed the lives of at least 223 people.

Adam Isaacson, director of the Defense Oversight program at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), criticized the administration for resuming its boat bombings despite "overwhelming evidence that they are murder; that many, likely most, of the dead are either super-low-level or uninvolved with drugs; and that cocaine supply is unaffected."

Brian Finucane, senior adviser to the US Program at the International Crisis Group, delivered a similarly scathing assessment, commenting that "the Trump administration's lawless killing spree at sea resumes."

Nicholas Grossman, professor of international relations at the University of Illinois, described the boat strike campaign as "murderous" and "illegal," adding that its victims are "not terrorists" and "may not even be drug traffickers."

Investigative journalist Camila Lourdes Galarza observed that "there’s still no proof any of the victims" of the boat strikes were involved in the drug trade.

Lourdes Galarza sarcastically added that if the victims had been drug traffickers, "the US would probably give them a deal" like the one given to Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras who was pardoned by Trump last year despite being previously convicted on narcotics trafficking charges.

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