Italy: Attempted Sexual Assault Against 14-Year-Old Boy: 25-Year-Old Egyptian Charged

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Reggio Emilia

Italian media is reporting the arrest of a 25-year-old Egyptian migrant and asylum-seeker in Reggio Emilia, who allegedly accosted a 14-year-old boy after they both got off a bus. The man allegedly approached the boy, stripped down naked, and groped his victim in his private parts before the boy managed to escape into an ice cream shop.

The below article from  Gazetta di Reggio is translated by Fousesquawk

Reggio Emilio, sexual attack at bus stop. The victim is a 14-year-old student who was returning from school. 25-year-old arrested

The suspect targeted him on public transport, then once he was off the bus, chased him from behind trying to touch him. The boy escaped to an ice cream shop and asked for help. Now the break thanks to the investigation by the Mobile Squad (police).

December 21, 2025 09:24

Reggio Emilia- A 14-year-old was victim of a sexually based attack in the early afternoon of November 19, near via Settembrini in Reggio Emilia. The incident occurred around 2 pm after the boy had gotten off the bus and was heading home, returning from school. According to what was reconstructed by the investigators, the attacker reportedly noticed him on board the public transport and followed him when he got off. Under a pretext, he allegedly tried to initiate a conversation, but the boy, suspecting bad intentions, tried to get away. The man then came up from behind, stripped down naked, and groped his private parts. The boy escaped into an ice cream shop asking for help, and they called the police from here.

Following the investigation, the National Police Mobile Squad executed a pre-trial jail custody order against a 25-year-old man of Egyptian nationality, with minor violations against property and (who is) an asylum-seeker, suspected of sexual violence against a minor.

The video cameras installed inside the bus and those of the commercial businesses, in fact, allowed the reconstruction of the events before and after the attack. The 14-year-old, after getting off the bus, with his backpack on his back and drawing folder in hand, was walking back home when the delinquent approached him, and, under a pretext, began talking to him. The victim, however, perceiving the bad intention, tried to get away in various ways, but the man suddenly came up behind him, stripped down naked, and groped him in his private parts. The boy managed to escape, finding refuge in an ice cream shop, and the intervention of passersby caused the attacker to flee.

The victim's account, which was immediately confirmed by the images on the video surveillance acquired and analyzed by the Mobile Squad invesigators, in the witness statements, and a video that the victim himself managed to capture in the tense moments prior to the attack, provided the prosecutor's office with a solid evedentiary framework, fully shared by the judge of preliminary investigation, who issued the custody order. The 25-year-old was put in jail, where he will remain pending an evidentiary hearing.  

Informativa

Sweden: SD Wants to Revoke Foreigners' Right to Vote in Municipal/Regional Elections

The Swedish Democrats party, which opposes mass migration into Sweden, wants to change a law that allows non-Swedish residents to vote in municipal and regional elections.

The article below from Insikt24 is translated by Fousesquawk.

 

Sweden Democrats want to revoke the right to vote for foreign citizens

December 16, 2025

The Sweden Democrats want to revoke the right to vote for foreign citizens who now have the possibility to vote in municipal and regional elections. The party believes that only Swedish citizens should have the right to vote in Swedish elections.

Currently, foreign citizens have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections if they have turned 18 on election day, and have been registered in Sweden for at least 3 consecutive years before election day. According to figures from the Central Statistics Bureau, SCB, there are currently just over 600,000 foreign citizens who can vote in this election. In some municipalities, the proportion who lack Swedish citizenship is over 10% while some municipalities have as many as over 20% foreign citizens.

Insert:

Right to vote in regional and municipal elections

You have the right to vote in regional and municipal elections if you:

*  Have turned 18 years on election day

*  Are a Swedish citizen or are registered in the municipality, region, or 

* citizen of an EU country, Iceland, or Norway and are registered in a municipality and region or

* citizen of another country, or stateless, and have been registered in Sweden at least 3 consecutive years prior to the election, and are registered in a municipality or region.

These rules apply to those who reside in Sweden as well as to those who reside abroad, for example, if you study or work abroad but are still registered in Sweden.

Caption: These have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections. Source: Electoral Authority

The Sweden Democrats, however, want to change the fact that foreign citizens have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections. In a posting on the X platform, formerly Twitter, the SD states that they "believe that only Swedish citizens should have the right to vote in Swedish elections," and that the current system, therefore, needs to be changed. In an image in the posting, the party has also written a text with the message, "foreigners should not vote in Swedish elections."

In the current election system, non-Swedish citizens are allowed to vote in municipal and regional elections, with certain restrictions.

We believe that only Swedish citizens should have the right to vote in Swedish elections and therefore, we want to change the present system.

FOREIGNERS SHOULD NOT VOTE IN SWEDISH ELECTIONS.

SD

Sweden: Iraqi Convicted of Raping 100-year-old Woman: 4 Years and No Deportation

Shakir Mahmoud Shakir

-Expressen

This week in Sweden, a 38-year-old Iraqi man was convicted of raping a 100-year-old woman in a home care setting. Rather than getting 30 years or so in jail and deportation, the rapists got 4 years in jail and no deportation, apparently thanks to the presiding judge, Mohamed Ali.

One juror is now saying that he favored deportation. He himself is an immigrant from India, who says he is "tired of criminal immigrants".

The article below from Fria Tider is translated by Fousesquawk. Note that the reference below to jurors/political judges refers to people who are appointed by political parties.

Caption: "I am a native of India, and sometimes I think the Sweden Democrats are right," says juror Pran Malhotra (on right) after the verdict against Shakir Mahmoud Shakir (on left).

Juror: "I want to deport the rapist. I am tired of immigrants."

Posted December 18, 2025 at 12:56

Law and Justice: The news that Iraqi Shakir Mahmoud Shakir, 38, is escaping deportation after having raped a 100-year-old in home care has sparked severe criticism. Now, one of the jurors says that he wanted to deport Shakir, but after a conversation with District Court Judge Mohamed Ali, they came to the conclusion that the rapist should stay.

"I am tired of these immigrants. I am an immigrant myself. I was born in India," says juror Pran Malhotra to Riks (News).

Shakir Mahmoud Shakir was sentenced yesterday to prison for raping a 100-year-old woman in home care.

At the same time, he was acquitted of another charge involving a very similar aggravated rape of a different 94-year-old woman.

Although the prosecutor requested deportation, it was not granted. Behind the judgment were District Court Judge Mohamed Ali and jurors (political judges) Inger Grönberg (MP), Pran Malhotra (S), and Eva Svalling. None of the jurors gave any dissenting opinion, but stood behind the line that deportation would be "disproportionate".  

In an interview with Riks, Malhotra says that he actually had a different point of view than his official one.

"I want him to be deported, " he says.

Malhotra states that the question of deportation was discussed after contact with the (presiding) judge of the court, Judge Mohamed Ali, and that the position changed.

"But then, it was last week, the (presiding judge) said that I should call again. So that he would investigate what more he could do in this case. And one day, we had a short conversation in the morning. And that was when the position changed from deportation to 4 years," Malhotra tells Riks.

When asked about his views on criminal immigrants, the juror expresses himself sharply.

"They should be severely punished and just sent back. No more discussion on it."

"I am a native of India, so sometimes I think the Sweden Democrats are right. Those are my opinions, " he tells Riks.

Riks says that they have sought out Judge Mohamed Ali, who was appointed by the (coalition) government in June of this year.

The Brown Shooting

 Since I have posted numerous articles about Brown University over the years, I am following the shooting case there with great interest. The reason I haven't posted anything about it yet is that we don't have all the facts. As Providence authorities themselves have cautioned, there has been so much speculation and chatter going around online.

Keep in mind that the name of the original "person of interest" made its way into the public sphere before he was released. As to the primary person captured on surveillance cameras that is the object of a manhunt, there is at least one name that has been bandied about online without any basis in fact, and it would be irresponsible for me to throw it out here. 

So there is so much we don't know, such as were the two victims who died specifically targeted? What was the motive of the shooter(s)? As to the second individual whose image was released to the public yesterday, I suspect that person will be identified. The problem is that after almost a week of the incident, those 2 individuals now being sought could be anywhere by now.  

At any rate, I think it is best to await the facts and not rely on wild Internet speculation or even fake news.

  

Pakistani Imam Issues Fatwa Against Geert Wilders

Pakistani imam Muhammed Ashraf Jalali has been sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for issuing a fatwa calling for the death of Dutch politician Geert Wilders (PVV), a critic of Islam who has been living under police guard for over 20 years due to all the threats against him. 

Wilders has posted a video of a sermon by Jalali in which he again calls for his death. I assume the sermon is in Pakistan. Dutch subtitles have been added. We are posting the video here with English subtitles. Hat tip to RAIR Foundation USA, Vlad Tepes, and Gates of Vienna for the subtitling. Translation to English is by Fousesquawk.

I want to note here that upon the conclusion of the video of the imam's sermon, there is written messaging on the screen in Dutch making negative statements about Prophet Mohamed.  After giving it some thought, I went ahead and translated the words, but with misgivings. As I have often said, I think that kind of language is counter-productive and hurtful to every single Muslim on the planet. Maybe it was Wilders' way of showing defiance to the imam. I do think that a serious discussion of Mohamed's life and his actions is relevant, but I don't agree with the manner in which the video goes about it. That said, I support Wilders, and I condemn every effort to kill him. To me, the imam's words are disgusting. Even if Wilders' words are sometimes intemperate, that is no justification for murder.

The words in Dutch that appear above the video are translated as follows (I have added their first names and full positions):

"Tell me, Minister President (Dick) Schoof, (Justice and Security) Minister  (Foort)Van Oosten, and (Foreign Affairs, Migration and Asylum) Minister (David) Van Weel, what have you done to get this imam, who last year was sentenced to 14 years in prison because of the fatwas against me, arrested and extradited?"

The Intifada Is Globalized in Australia

 This article first appeared in New English Review.

According to the news coming out of Australia in the wake of yesterday’s massacre on Bondi Beach in Sydney, the Australian people are angry. They are fed up. They should be. Yet, as is all-too-often the case, their political leaders are never fed up. Presently, Australia has a prime minister, Anthony Albanese of the Labour Party, who seemingly doesn’t care if his people are fed up with Islamists, Jihadists, Jew haters, and people screaming, “Globalize the Intifada”. In September, his government recognized a Palestinian state, in effect, rewarding the atrocities of October 7, 2023. Australia, thus, joined other countries like Canada, Spain, and France who have followed the same naïve path in recent months. Did Albanese think that by placating the Palestinian lobby, Australian Jews and Australians in general would now be safe from Islamic terrorism?  Welcome to the real world, Mr. Albanese. Have we all not learned by now that rewarding Hamas and the Palestinians for their horrible massacre of October 7 goes against common sense? Have we not learned by now that the only thing these barbarians understand is strength and brute force?

Last September 7, that same Bondi Beach was the scene of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in which people were proclaiming the Holy Intifada, as pro-Hamas lunatics have been doing for years all over the world, including the US. I’ve heard it so many times  on campuses and on the streets that it’s ringing in my ears. It is nothing more than a call to kill Jews, around the world, “wherever you find them” as that 1400-year-old ditty goes. That is exactly what “Globalize the Intifada” means, and it played out yesterday in Sydney.

It is also playing out in New York, Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm, Malmo, Amsterdam, Rome, Brussels, and countless other places in the Western world. Places where Jews cannot go out in public wearing distinctive Jewish garb (also places where women don’t go at night no matter what they wear, but that’s a different story even though the perps are the same). If it is true that Australians are fed up, it is also true that Europeans are fed up. Canadians and Americans are also fed up.  Yet, with the exception of the US and Italy, their governments are not listening to them. The flow of new arrivals just keeps on coming. Crime and welfare costs keep rising, terrorist attacks keep happening (Europe is presently dealing with attacks and plans to attack their Christmas markets), Jews keep getting attacked, anti-Semitism has reached levels not seen since the 1930s, and our leaders wring their hands.

So now we have a Pakistani-born father and his son (born in Australia), who are so indignant about the plight of the Palestinians that they go out and kill 15 or so Jews who were simply celebrating Hannukah on a beach. When and where will this happen next in the Western world?

As I so often do after events like these, I repeat that we should not respond by attacking Muslims on the street or setting fire to their mosques.  Indeed, it appears that a Muslim street vendor in Sydney named Ahmed al-Ahmed actually grabbed one of the killers and disarmed him. The man is a hero, and I pay tribute to him. There have been differing accounts on the Web as to whether he is a Muslim or a Christian, but God forbid that he would have to suffer discrimination because of his religion or Middle Eastern appearance. I have no desire to write about Muslims what the notorious Jew-baiter of Nuremberg, Julius Streicher, wrote about Jews in his weekly, Der Stuermer. I admit, I am walking a fine line, but we cannot remain silent.

And that is the quandary we are faced with. We now have millions of Muslims in our Western countries, most of whom have done nothing (wherever their inner sympathies may lie). I wish them no harm, but in a certain respect they are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the discussion which we must have even if it hurts their sensibilities. The simple fact we must admit is that pure Islam is not compatible with Western values. While many, if not most Muslims may practice their religion peacefully and with tolerance, Islam is not a religion of peace and tolerance. It is anti-Christian and even more so anti-Jewish. And above all, it is violent. The fact that most Muslims are peaceful is irrelevant. The fact is that too many are not peaceful, too many are ticking time bombs, and too many are one mouse click away from becoming radicalized and joining the jihad.

We cannot continue to allow millions of Muslims to enter our countries and expect our innocent people to pay for it with their lives. This is exactly what is taking place in Western Europe more than anyplace else. Too many people are dying, and too many women are being raped. And it is all a result of their government’s mistaken migration and asylum policies, and our own political correctness. The term “Islamophobia” was coined a couple of decades ago by Islamists precisely for the purpose of silencing any criticism of Islam and its terrorist associations. It is time to laugh that word out of usage. Phobias are supposed to be irrational fears, not fears based on reason.

Whatever the proportion of the Muslim population in our respective countries is, that percentage must not be allowed to grow. If we have to put the brakes on all immigration (so as not to be discriminatory), so be it. The so-called asylum-seekers who do not have a valid claim should be sent home. The same goes for any foreigner (of any stripe, actually) who commits a crime in our countries.

We are not bigots, racists, or xenophobes. We are just fed up.

Germany: Teenager Stabbed at Christmas Market

 Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Christmas market in Herford

Christmas season in Europe is now a season of increased risk and danger. In recent years, they have been the targets for vandalism and even terrorism at the hands of people who have a problem with Christmas celebrations. This week in Herford, Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), a 15-year-old Iraqi boy has been arrested and charged with stabbing a 16-year-old boy at that town's Christmas market. The victim was initially in critical condition, but seems to be stable now after emergency surgery. 

The motive for the attack is unclear. 

Hat tip to RAIR Foundation USA, Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes for subtitling the video below from Bild in English. Translation is by Fousesquawk.

Germany: Police in Bavaria Thwart Christmas Attack

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Dingolfing

In Bavaria, 5 men are in custody for allegedly having planned a terrorist attack on a Christmas market near Dingolfing. The planned attack reportedly involved some sort of vehicle(s). One of the suspects is an Egyptian (56), a Syrian (37) , and three Moroccans, ages 22, 28, and 30.

The below article from Bluewin (Switzerland) is translated by Fousesquawk.

"Kill as many as possible"

5 Islamists arrested-Police in Bavaria thwart attack on Christmas market

Caption: When the attack on a Christmas market in Lower Bavaria was to take place, or how concrete the plans were, remains initially unclear.

DPA, Blue News 

December 14, 2025 

Five men allegedly planned an attack on a Christmas market in Lower Bavaria with a vehicle. Now they are sitting in custody. The authorities suspect there was an Islamist motive.

* In Bavaria, 5 men were arrested for a suspected attack plan on a Christmas market in the area of Dingolfing.

* Investigators suspect there was an Islamist motive. The attack was reportedly to be carried out with a vehicle.

* 4 suspects are in custody, 1 in preventative detention. Details of the plan are unclear at this time.

Update December 14, 06:55. The arrests took place on Friday. Yesterday, on Saturday, the men were taken before a magistrate. Arrest warrants were issued on four of them. One was placed in preventive custody.

According to reports, no foreign intelligence service was involved. Where the suspects were arrested is not known. The stated goal of the Egyptian, according to the State Prosecutor's Office, was, " to kill or injure as many people as possible."

Five men were arrested for attack plans against a Christmas market in the area of Dingolfing in Lower Bavaria. Arrest warrants were issued against 4 of them-one was placed in preventative custody, as confirmed by the Munich State Prosecutor's Office.

(Authorities) are currently going on the assumption of an Islamist motivation. The attack was reportedly going to be carried out with a vehicle. As the State Prosecutor's Office stressed, the presumption of innocence applies. BILD had previously reported on the case.

The arrests reportedly took place Friday-on Saturday, the men were taken before the magistrate.  According to the State Prosecutor's Office, they are a 56-year-old Egyptian, a 37-year-old Syrian, and 3 Moroccans, ages 22, 28, and 30.

According to the current state of the investigation, the Egyptian allegedly called for an attack in a mosque in the area of Dingolfing-Landau. As for when the possible attack was planned for and how concrete the plans were was initially not clear. The State Prosecutor's Office said that it was still too early to make a statement. 

The Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism led the operation, in which, among others, the State Office for Protection of the Constitution was also involved. 

Italy: Rape Outside Rome Metro

Italy, like every other Western European country, continues to be plagued by migrant crime.

Last Sunday, outside a Metro station in Rome, a 23-year-old female was allegedly raped by three men, two who held her down, and one who reportedly committed the rape. Police are searching for three men whom they describe as being from Gambia.

It is not clear from the article below how police have determined that the suspects are from Gambia, or if they know specifically who they are looking for by name. Possibly, there was some conversation between the victim and the alleged attackers before the rape took place.

At any rate, the article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Rape in the street outside Rome Metro. Three Gambians being sought

The 23-year-old has reported the sexual violence that took place last Sunday outside the Jonio station of Metro B shortly before midnight.

December 9, 2025 16:46 

Rape in the street in Rome, in front of the Jonio station of Metro B. The victim is a 23-year-old girl who was outside the Metro in the NW quadrant of the capital, shortly after midnight, Sunday, December 7.  The prosecutor's office is looking for 3 persons: They are reportedly three men from Gambia. The Carabinieri are investigating the matter. The attack was reported by the victim herself when she arrived at the Pertini Hospital. She told of being held down by two men while being raped by a third. 

The circumstances are being evaluated by the investigators.

Efforts are underway to reconstruct whether the three had followed her inside the Metro or if there was a casual encounter at the exit of the station. To reconstruct the circumstances, the video surveillance cameras in the zone are being examined.

Germany: Nativity Scene Vandalized and Donkeys Tortured

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Erbach (Hesse)

It's Christmas season, and in Europe, that means fantastic Christmas markets. Sadly, it also means that these markets are the targets of terrorists and/or vandals who object to Christianity and Christians in general. In the small town of Erbach (Hesse), unidentified vandals broke into a Nativity Scene display in the wee hours of the morning a few days ago. Not only did they vandalize the place, but they also brutalized two live donkeys in the enclosure.

How sick and disgusting can you get?? 

The below article from BILD is translated by Fousesquawk.

Disgusting attack!

Donkeys Lily and Max tortured at Christmas market

Caption: Max and Lily stand in a live Nativity Scene at the Christmas market in Erbach

By Bianca Weiner

December 5, 2025 16:53

Erbach (Hesse)- What a disgusting act! In the small town of Erbach (14,000 residents) in Odenwald, as yet unknown perpetrators left a trail of destruction on Saturday night/Sunday morning (November 30), and in the process even tortured two defenseless donkeys.

Donkeys Lily and Max brutally attacked

The two friendly donkeys Lily and Max, part of the beloved "Live Nativity Scene" in the Christmas market in Hesse, were beaten and tortured around 4 am in their enclosure. That is confirmed by the city administration.

A resident observed the scene by chance from his balcony and yelled at the perpetrators, whereupon they fled. The police are investigating the case for animal cruelty.

Vandalism in the city center

But it was not limited to the abused animals. Apparently, the same perpetrators had already vandalized the Erbach Palace Christmas market. There, electrical boxes, light bulbs, and Christmas decorations were destroyed, several stalls were robbed, and toilets were defaced with graffiti.  

Especially disgusting: In the Protestant church in the central city, the vandals left behind feces and damaged candlesticks as well as pews. The church had to be closed after the attack.

Caption: For their safety, Lily and Max were taken back to their farm after the cowardly attack.

Animals taken to safety

To protect the animals, the donkeys were taken back to their farm. Therefore, the visitors to the Nativity Scene will no longer see them. The city has filed a criminal complaint.

Police urgently seek witnesses

Police are hoping for clues from the public. A spokesperson stressed they are investigating all leads and are taking the statements of the witness very seriously. The officers are now seeking more witnesses: 06062/95 30.

Germany: 13-Year-Old Attacked by Syrian and Ukrainian Boys

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

In Lindau, Germany, near the German/Austrian/Swiss borders, 4 youths between the ages of 11-13 are accused of stealing emergency hammers from a bus and attacking a 13-year-old Austrian boy with them.  Fortunately, the victim did not suffer serious injuries. The 4 boys are described as two brothers from Syria and two Ukrainians. They were quickly apprehended after they tried to hide behind a police station!

The article below from Rheintal24 (Switzerland) is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Syrian and Ukrainian children (11-13) beat an Austrian (13) with emergency hammers*

* Translator's note: Emergency hammers are hammers used to break through vehicle windows or windshields in emergency situations and traffic accidents.

Two Syrian brothers and two Ukrainians beat a 13-year-old resident of Vorarlberg and fled. Among other things, they allegedly struck him with stolen emergency hammers.

Shocking scenes came to Lindau on Friday evening, December 5. Several children from Ukraine and Syria (all residents of Vorarlberg and between 11-13 years of age) stole emergency hammers from a city bus and went after a 13-year-old resident of Vorarlberg with them.

As reported by Blick, they beat the Austrian child with punches and kicks, and even with stolen emergency hammers. The (child) fortunately came out of it without serious injuries. The trigger was reportedly a verbal altercation.

The Syrians and Ukrainians fled, but were quickly arrested because, ironically, they hid behind the Criminal Police building. The alleged attackers were later turned over to their parents, and the authorities were notified. The investigation continues. 

Those Ill-Fated Drug Boats: Is it Justified?

 

Now that the Department of War has blown up some 20 or so boats, mostly in the Caribbean, carrying drugs from Venezuela, everybody is debating the legality and the morality of what we are doing under President Trump. As a retired DEA agent, I am following this with great interest. In addition, I have discussed this with many of my fellow DEA retirees, and the opinions vary. But here are my thoughts:

First of all, what has been occurring is not part of American law enforcement protocol. It is part of military protocol in times of war. As far as I know, neither DEA nor any other law enforcement agency is involved in these operations or providing the intelligence in identifying boats transporting drugs. (I hope that is not the case). In my opinion, law enforcement should play no role in these operations, nor should they supply the intelligence for such strikes.

But since the administration has labeled these people as narco-terrorists, and terrorists are a legitimate target for the military in my humble view, does this legitimize the acts of our military of blowing up these boats in the water and killing all aboard? That, I guess, will ultimately be decided by people smarter than me. In that vein, the fentanyl epidemic, some would argue, has been a game-changer since some 200,000+ Americans have been dying from fentanyl poisoning every year. (It is reported that since our border with Mexico has been secured, deaths are down, with some other factors also playing a part.) With those considerations in mind, is it legally justified to blow these boats up to save American lives?

From a law enforcement perspective, the answer is no. Law enforcement, drug law enforcement in particular, involves arresting people, not ambushing them with deadly force. Yes, there are occasional gunfights between traffickers and police, and deaths sometimes result. (I have been there.) But up to now, US law has not exercised the death penalty for drug traffickers, even the biggest kingpins, unless they have also been convicted of murder. I can assure you that those who have been killed in these attacks are not kingpins. They are in the lower rungs of the trafficking-"mules" or couriers. Were they to be arrested and prosecuted in the US, they might get 15 years in prison, depending on their individual circumstances, but clearly not the death penalty.

In addition, from a law enforcement perspective, the preference is to interdict these boats, seize the drugs as evidence, and possibly obtain the cooperation of the couriers in identifying and arresting the recipients and the sources. That, of course, has been lost with the deaths of the people on the boats. 

So in my view, this must be justified in military terms. But herein, there is another wrinkle. Just recently, it has been disclosed that one boat required 4 missile attacks before it was sunk, and that at least a couple of suspects were in the water after the first strike.  Under the international law of warfare on the high seas, survivors in the water are supposed to be rescued if at all possible, not finished off. There is an exception to that in that if the survivors are still fighting, and/or if the boat is still operational, additional strikes are justified. Whether that was the case here, I don't know. I expect we will know soon.

So how will the traffickers react? Will they cease using boats entirely and change their patterns, as traffickers generally do when one route or method of transportation is shut down? Or will they resort to other methods, like putting innocent hostages or children on the boats? The Venezuelan government also has a political desire to discredit the US in the eyes of the world. The Maduro regime is decidedly evil and not above resorting to such inhuman actions. Would that be the next step? I have said from the start that all Hell would break loose once we sank one innocent boat. There is a definite need to proceed with caution here.

The last factor is the question of fentanyl. The drug primarily involved here is cocaine, and most of these boats are allegedly coming out of Venezuela, whose government is definitely involved in the international traffic to the US. But have any of these boats contained fentanyl? I don't yet have a definite answer to that question, but from what information I have been able to gather from some of my contacts, the answer, at this point, is no.

Food for thought.