VIRTUAL DEBATE: Narco-Boats Drone Strikes — Legal or Not?

Do the recent U.S. drone strikes on Venezuelan drug-trafficking boats fall within the bounds of international and domestic law. At issue are questions of sovereignty, self-defense, counter-narcotics authorities, and the legality of using lethal force outside traditional battlefields. The discussion will explore both the legal rationale offered by U.S. officials and the arguments that these strikes violate core principles of international law.

Meet the debaters:

Daniel Di Martino

​Daniel Di Martino is a Venezuelan-born economist, commentator, and policy analyst. He is a graduate of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and the Manhattan Institute’s Emerging Fellow program. Having grown up in Venezuela during the country’s economic and political collapse, Di Martino frequently writes and speaks about authoritarianism, U.S. foreign policy, immigration, and the future of Latin America. His work has appeared in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and National Review, and he regularly provides expert commentary on U.S.–Latin America relations.

​Micah Erfan

​Micah Erfan is a researcher and commentator focused on international law, national security, and U.S. foreign policy. His work examines the legal and moral limits of state power, including the use of drones, targeted strikes, and cross-border counter-narcotics operations. He has written and spoken extensively on questions of sovereignty, human rights, and the evolving landscape of international humanitarian law. Erfan brings a legal-analytic perspective to debates about the use of force and its compliance with international norms.