I did a quick PerplexityAI search for a list of US Intel agencies.
The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) is officially made up of 18 organizations.
Core independent agencies
Department of Defense elements
Army intelligence element (often Army Intelligence and Security Command).
Space Force intelligence element (Space Force Intelligence / Space Delta 18).
Other department and agency elements
Department of Energy – Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence.
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A).
Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intelligence element.
Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of National Security Intelligence (DEA ONSI).
Department of State – Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR).
Department of the Treasury – Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA).
Because of this list, it is my opinion that the Navy members should not be held responsible for the unjust murders of those alleged to be drug traffickers by the Felon47 (mis)administration.
I was in the corner of the USN that reported strategically to NSA. I electronically interacted with several of the other agencies. There is no good way for the enlisted personnel or even the junior officers to know which agency a given bit of intel came from. Most of them would not have sufficient clearance to be given access to the raw reports. The initial orders to bomb the boats could well have been based on Intel from any of those agencies for all they knew or, any of the foreign agencies still willing to share with us. The junior personnel simply cannot verify the information or where it came from. They have to trust and obey the senior members of their chain of command.
So though it seems obvious that dropping bombs on what appear to be civilian watercraft is sketchy as shit, the truth is that a lot of decisions got made waaaaaaaaay over my head based on information to which I was not privy. I assure you that the vast majority of the guys in a CIC are not in possession of clearances anywhere near as high as the one I held. The whole time I was in, approximately 10years, I do not recall ever seeing an active pilot in our spaces. They did not have the clearance (or the need but that is a different conversation). Those pilots had to trust leadership and follow orders just like the rest of us.
As a result of that, the initial strike, if it (they) is murder, is murder committed by senior personnel. The 2nd strike on that first boat is a different matter. Even junior personnel are taught that killing survivors is not kosher. That said, I absolutely understand their reluctance to push back and honesty requires me to admit that I am miles away from sure that I would have done "the right thing" had I been there. I was pretty reactively subservient to authority back then. Most likely, I would have obeyed orders.
I am happy to let JAG and the judiciary decide whether the 2nd strike was premeditated murder or a war crime. I am certain that it was one of those things. I am certain that at a minimum, the civilian leadership created an environment wherein the military thought murder was acceptable behavior. For that, they should absolutely be held accountable. If they exceeded the minimum, if they actually issued orders that could be interpreted as "no survivors", then we should be happy to pay for their transportation non-stop to The Hague.
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