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?