I've been asked a question by a Conservative friend who thinks that the Trump administration is simply destroying boats in international waters without knowing for sure that they are indeed drug boats. He doesn't have a great understanding of the military or intelligence-gathering abilities we have in the US.
I suspect that these boats are identified through a combination of HUMINT (people on the ground), satellite and drone monitoring, use of FLIR imaging, and interception of communications by the drug lords... but I can't prove any of this.
Anyone here know how we know that these boats are narco-shipments and not innocent fishermen or pleasure craft?
Most of the FLIR and regular footage I've seen was pretty obvious. They were half-million$ racers, packed with drums just leaving enough room for an operator and navigator...no fishing gear or otherwise.
Many of those blue drums have floated ashore, said to be fentanyl components. (likely frim Chyna)
I am sure most of the methods of identification are classified.
Agree and I'd prefer to keep it that way. We don't need to reveal our methods to the enemy, nor give them opportunities to circumvent our surveillance.
Trying hard to care but I just don't give a fuck
Trump doesn't do evil shit - if he did, he'd be in prison for life - it's not like they didn't have an army of lawyers trying their damnedest
they failed because he's one of the good guys
I'm sure it's a combination of HUMINT (informants, undercover operatives) and SIGINT (intel-gathering via signals and communications interception) along with some likely classified verification systems to assure the correct target.
Plus, the intel gathering was likely taking place since sometime in 2017. These Narco-boats are part of the middle-man as they take from the producer in South America and then sell the inventory to the Mexican cartels. The cartels then sell it to citizens in the United States.
That's what I assume. There are probably CIA assets on the ground identifying these people and then they use satellites and drones to surveil them.
I listened to someone talking about how some of these drugs have been confiscated before by our DEA, tracking devices placed inside the bricks, given to CIA who then sell them back to the cartels for dark money to fund their ops. The Cartels then bring them right back to the US to sell. So if even one brick on the boat has a tracker, our gov't can follow the drugs and money now.
That sounds pretty darn clever.
In one way yes, treasonous is the second part of it, because they dont care one whit that the drugs come back into the country, they just see it as a tool to get funding.
Exactly, until enters DJT and Co.
Heresay
It's pretty obvious. Narrow, long boats with big power. Lots of gasoline drums and square grouper. Hard to miss if you know what your looking at. Then there's the surface skimmer subs.
"You're "
Agree with others that HUMINT and SIGNIT are for sure being used, but also look at the behavior of these boats. I don’t know about you, but after the USMIL has blown up 14 boats nearby I don’t think I’d be eager to be number 15. Why not choose a different route, or just not fish over there if you’re an innocent fisherman?
The steady cadence of these same souped up boats, in the same fishing lanes, heading the same direction indicates to me that they are military, or at very least corporate. These boats are operated by desperate men, who probably cannot back out because of threats made to them and their families. The sheer obstinacy of the controllers indicates that they are 100% focused on hitting their deliverables, no matter who dies. It’s a business/military op.
Who else puts 4 high power motors on the back of the boat? That's just for starters. Where are the fishing poles? Live wells? Nets, etc. C'mon. Then they run like hell when they are seen.
Your friend is not a conservative.
Yeah, he's a conservative alright, but also a pedantic stickler and a tiresome debater too. He somehow thinks that "the people" referred to in the Constitution means all people. I have informed him otherwise, just last night, but haven't heard back from him on that matter.
It feels like this trying to explain stuff to normies
u/#silvia
"He somehow thinks that "the people" referred to in the Constitution means all people"
I would love to hear how he came to that conclusion. The Constitution is a contract between the states and the federal system. Why would it include any people who are not a citizen of their respective state?
RECON USV Voyager Sail Drones :
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2025/2/3/just-in-navy-deploys-surface-drones-for-counterdrug-mission
Targets Air Marked in Advance, Loading facilites located/monitored. They monitor all imported manufacturing supplies, ie China for Fentanyl (50 gallon drums have a signiture) and each man involved has a signature that marks them and tracks them autonomously. I will drop a new link with more info, alot of inquirys but only a few released Mission footage of two unmanned narco vessels taken out.
Sail drones are just one tool of many. Silent, solar powered Starlink real time data transmission etc, just a peek into what we don't know.
Wow, very neat, thanks.
We know every step of the way. Both military and contractors. I was part of a team that bid on the two big contracts that the government puts out. I know one badass woman that was Humint (retired). I was the guy that came up with the HITRON program. Where a sniper in a Coast Guard helicopter would shoot out their engines. The SECDEF had to approve every shot, but it was very streamlined. After a while, if the bad guys saw the helicopter, they would lay on top of the engines because someone let them know what the ROE was. I like this plan much better. 😎😎😎
Tell him we have a new thing called satellites. We can take pictures of them loading the boat.
This brings to mind drop 150 - then wait till they enter international waters.
u/#q150
One of the latest tactics of the left is pretending not to understand simple things: "But how do we know they're traffickers!?"
The correct answer is: "You don't need to know." Explaining is losing when it comes to commie traitors.
You can’t hide something like that. It’s too complex of an enterprise to conceal. I’m sure they will try other ways but for now running a boat like that will get you killed.
Pretty spot on. Those motors come from somewhere. Either illegally or through legit purchases. That's basic 101 detective work. Fuel purchases, etc. These Boat Hulls aren't made of wood, they have to be fabricated, that can be tracked. If you stop and think its pretty easy, even if you dont watch detective shows. 🤪
Your friend is a dork and barely knows how to cook scrambled eggs if he can't figure this one out. Sorry, I've just cut off a lot of acquaintances over the years that act like this.
Commercial vessels have a purpose and are not beelining for American shores. But im sure they have positive ID before it even leaves the dock. Knowing tech they probably track the drugs from source to that boat.
A satellite can read a baseball label from space. I would venture to guess that all the activity can be seen from space and verified with drones. Navy seals can access the boats underwater and plant trackers on the boats as well as microphones. Lots of ways to verify they are narco boats.
Easy: they're on the water coming from narco countries....
We have drones with tech that you can't dream of. They can see a zit on a fly's ass from 1,000 feet.
Years ago a drone that looks like an eagle was revealed as it was old tech. It could sit on an overhead power line and monitor people and buildings for weeks at a time.
Sit one near a doc or "hiddenn" building and you have all the evidence u need.
I believe the US can track the drugs with satellites from the time it is made until the time it is shipped. I think the closed border has made it very hard for them to get the drugs across into the US via ground routes. They are now trying to get them in through other means like boats. They probably watch the boats being loaded.
It could also be their are US operatives with boots on the ground. People will do anything for money including turn in the traffickers.
watch the videos
there aren't any fishing poles
There are probably satellites that can use fricken lasers to do spectral analysis from orbit to determine the purity of the coke through the plastic wrapper
Probably watch them load the boat when they leave the dock. We do have a satellite coverage over the entire earth that can read the print on a newspaper from 200 miles up. Since they were declared narco terrorist, all assets deployed.
Phone data quite possible, good intel.
You can see the drug bags on the boats.
They are not fishing at midnight.
They have the tell tale signs of being go-fast boats, with 2 or 3 or more engines. But i trust the Military enough they wouldn't be blowing up random boats to make Trump look good even if he ordered them to.They probably have super high resolution pics, which they won't show us to not disclose those capabilities.
For example in this one, you can see it's stocked full of diesel jerry cans (the pink liquid). So it's quite likely acting as a support boat to refuel the drug boats that burn a ton of fuel.
I trust you're right.
If I was in charge, I would try to intercept them on the water first. But if they run, BOOM!
I hear you, but total destruction does send a powerful message.
Yeah, lot less volunteers to run drugs if the navy isn't taking prisoners.
We have eyes and ears everywhere.
LWell there are among other technological planes, there are P8 military aircraft. 'sub hunters' look them up. Some have capability of becoming a cell towers.