Boat strikes ‘aren’t the answer’ to US drug problems, general says

Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, testified before Congress on Thursday that lethal military strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific are not an effective solution to America's drug crisis. The statement came during a Capitol Hill hearing in response to questioning from Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) about evidence supporting the military's boat-strike operations. Donovan's remarks suggest debate within military leadership over the strategy's utility, as the Trump administration and Congress grapple with how to combat drug trafficking at sea. The U.S. military has conducted strikes against vessels suspected of carrying narcotics as part of broader counter-narcotics efforts in strategic waterways. Donovan's testimony indicates pressure to evaluate whether such tactics should continue or be replaced with alternative approaches to addressing drug smuggling.