Strike First, Explain Never

先发制人,后解其疑

Radio Atlantic

2025-10-30

24 分钟
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So far, the U.S. has blown up 14 boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, killing at least 57 people. In the two months since the strikes began, the administration has consistently offered the same explanation: The U.S. has a fentanyl overdose problem, and these boats are a source of that drug. The federal government has stuck to that line despite the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security saying most of the fentanyl brought into this country comes from Mexico, not through the Caribbean. Nancy Youssef covers national security for The Atlantic. She joins the show to discuss the strikes, the administration’s changes to the military, and the lack of transparency in the transformed Pentagon. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • The U.S.

  • has launched a military strike against a boat in the Caribbean, killing 11 people on board.

  • So starting on September 2nd,

  • the United States started striking boats in international waters as they were leaving Venezuela.

  • The president says the boat was part of a cartel operation,

  • carrying drugs from Venezuela and heading right towards the U.S.

  • The way the United States justified it is that they said these are narco terrorists that pose a threat to the United States.

  • And the way to combat the fentanyl overdose problem in the United States is to take out the source of it,

  • which is these boats.

  • This is Atlantic staff writer Nancy Yousef, who covers national security.

  • The problem is we don't know who are on these boats,

  • why these boats versus others are being targeted, what was on those boats.

  • In addition, fentanyl doesn't come from that part of the Caribbean.

  • We want to keep fentanyl out of the United States.

  • And I don't know how widely known this is,

  • but those routes through the Caribbean are predominantly used to bring cocaine to Europe.