Former DHS chief of staff urges Democrats to prep subpoenas on military strikes

In a Substack piece, former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor advises Democrats to prepare subpoenas as soon as the new Congress convenes, focusing on recent lethal kinetic strikes carried out by U.S. Southern Command that resulted in two deaths in the eastern Pacific. He links these strikes to a pattern of bombings targeting boats alleged to be transporting drugs, which he says were executed under a classified Trump "kill order" never reviewed by a court.

Citing one outlet's report, Taylor notes that the bombings have not curbed drug trafficking and may have other motives, and he observes a recent pause that could reflect legal apprehension within the government. He argues that military lawyers’ warnings might have led to personnel changes to allow the operations to resume, and stresses that anyone who ordered, approved, or facilitated the attacks could be criminally liable. Taylor also contrasts the current approach with prior practices where the Coast Guard intercepted and arrested smugglers rather than destroying vessels.