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As scrutiny mounts on the Trump administration’s use of force in its targeting of suspected cartel members in the Caribbean, lawmakers on Capitol Hill were asked whether they believe U.S. citizen victims or drug traffickers are more important.
Republicans, such as Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said the answer is easy.
“I can’t speak for anybody else, but my top concern is American citizens, their lives, their health. So, for me, it’s an easy choice. Kill drug dealers, save Americans,” said Sheehy.
Democrats, however, had less black and white opinions on the strikes.
“Look, I fully support doing whatever we can within the legal means to make sure that we’re stopping drug trafficking,” said Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., adding, “We should absolutely be concerned about the victims of drug trafficking and people who have lost their lives to drug violence.”
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“We support all efforts to [interdict], arrest, hold people accountable who are trying to smuggle drugs into this country. However, we have a rule of law, and we have rules of engagement for a reason. And so, we need to make sure that we have full transparency in terms of how these strikes are happening,” Olszewski went on.
He added that “if the reporting is true, it’s very likely” that the administration’s drug boat strikes are “in violation of our laws and may in fact be a war crime.”
“So, it merits full investigation; it merits the details being released. And you know, again, I fully support doing all that we can to stop drug trafficking, but that means that we have to make sure that we’re doing it within the rule of law and the rules that we have in this country.”
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., pushed back on the question, saying, “Is this going to do anything to truly help them?”
“Cocaine’s still flowing, the demand is still there,” Smith said, adding, “You see a drug dealer on the street, that’s a bad person. That person is selling drugs. Let’s say they’re selling actual fentanyl, not the cocaine that we’re hitting here. Would you support allowing anyone to execute that person who wants to on the spot? … You want to be tough on drug dealers. Drug dealers are bad people. Why do we need due process? Why do you need probable cause?”
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“Don’t give me this crap about how this proves you don’t care about [selling drugs],” he said. “I care about selling drugs. I don’t want a fascist regime that gets to decide who they can kill when they want to kill them without any check on that power. That simply doesn’t make sense in the United States of America, or at least not the United States of America that I want us to have.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., answered, “We have to do our best to disrupt drug distribution. Also, we have to invest in drug health care and drug education, et cetera. We have to do all the things. The real question is, how do you do it right?”
Pressed on whether the government should be prioritizing drug victims above the traffickers, Reed responded, “I’ve commented and thank you for asking,” before walking away.
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Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., simply answered, “Congress has to do its job: oversight,” and walked away.
Republicans, meanwhile, were much more unilateral in their responses.
“If it disrupts the flow of one drug coming into West Virginia, I’m all for it,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
“I come from a state that has historically had enormous drug problems. A lot of deaths from fentanyl, from overdoses,” said Capito. “So, I’m supportive of whatever the president can do to end the flow of fentanyl. And [with] the narco-terrorism, the intelligence around these strikes, from my understanding, is pretty solid.”
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“For too long, politicians have been satisfied to have a hundred thousand Americans die every year of drug overdoses. Finally, President Trump has stepped up to the plate and said, ‘No more,’” said Rep. Glenn Grothman.
“If you’re going to attack our country, and these people know full well Americans are dying because of what they’re doing. If you’re going to attack our country, we’re going to fight back, about time,” Grothman added.
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