Article on the latest generation of US Coast Guard "Over The Horizon" boats.
https://www.workboat.com/shipbuilding/test-driving-the-coast-guard-s-new-ove r-the-horizon-cutter-boat Generally deployed from a ramp on the back of a larger cutter along with helicopters. These things vaguely remind me of the WWII PT boats. I would not want to try and outrun the Coast Guard. From: AF <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Adam Moffett Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 4:24 PM To: 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] now we're blowing up boats in the Pacific Yes, and that's the primary argument against this practice. If we have solid intel that they're carrying drugs, and we know where they are, then as soon as they enter our territorial waters we can board the boat and arrest them. The Coast Guard doesn't need a warrant or even a specific reason to board a boat. Some of those boats are faster than Cutters, but I don't have solid info on how often they actually escape when they're already being tracked. It's hard to imagine they really get away often because the Coast Guard also has helicopters, and they're allowed to continue a pursuit into international waters (and onto land) as long as the pursuit started in US waters. Regardless of how often they really get away, it's not normal to blow up someone's boat as a law enforcement action. We also don't execute drug traffickers, and even when the state executes someone there's a trial first. but..... * post-911 we treat foreign terrorist organizations as enemy combatants * the executive branch gets to decide who counts as an FTO. The sec of state, sec of treasury, and attorney general all have to agree, but they also all have the same boss. * Nobody can really stop the executive branch from declaring an FTO. * Congress could pass a bill to override someone's listing as an FTO, but to date they've never done it. * The courts could overturn an FTO listing, but for a lot of reasons it's almost impossible. So effectively the President and/or their cabinet has a completely legal pathway to authorize military force against just about anyone, and there's very little anyone can do about it. It's not that I have sympathy for drug smugglers, it's that all we can do is take someone's word for it that it was a drug smuggler. If anyone is totally comfortable with that then I'm curious what your rationale is. _____ From: AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > on behalf of Ken Hohhof <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 3:00 PM To: 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: [AFMUG] now we're blowing up boats in the Pacific <https://x.com/SecWar/status/1981049943306752361> https://x.com/SecWar/status/1981049943306752361 I thought the Coast Guard was able to intercept boats and board them, arrest people and confiscate cargo. I seem to remember they specifically acquired high speed boats that were a match for anything a drug runner might have.
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