Post 1: The Setup
Trump's been bombing boats in the Caribbean since September. 83 dead. 21+ strikes. His administration calls it counternarcotics. His fans call it strength. But here's what nobody in MAGA world wants to acknowledge: every single one of these killings just became evidence in a case that's already legally viable under international criminal law. The Rome Statute doesn't care about your campaign rhetoric.
Post 2: The Jurisdiction Trap
Venezuela signed the Rome Statute. That means the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed on Venezuelan territory and by/against Venezuelan nationals. Trump's bombing campaign is happening in the Caribbean, yards from Venezuelan coastline. Bombers flew 20 miles off the northern coast. You understand what that means? The legal framework for prosecution doesn't require a signature from Washington. It requires Venezuela's signature, which they already have.
Post 3: The EEZ Reality
Trump loyalists think they're operating in international waters, so ICC jurisdiction doesn't apply. Wrong. Venezuela's Exclusive Economic Zone extends 120 nautical miles. Under international law, that's sovereign economic territory. Drug boats? Fishing boats? Economic activity = Venezuelan territory for jurisdictional purposes. Your "gray area" doesn't exist. It's settled law.
Post 4: The Legal Trap They Walked Into
The Trump administration thinks it's operating in ambiguity. It's not. The strikes happen on/near Venezuelan territory. Venezuela is a Rome Statute signatory. The ICC can investigate crimes against humanity and war crimes. Extrajudicial killing of suspected criminals without trial? That fits both categories. They didn't find a loophole. They walked into the framework that's been sitting there the entire time.
Post 5: Enforcement Isn't About Military Power
Here's what keeps Trump people up at night once they understand this: The ICC doesn't enforce itself. It relies on state parties to arrest and surrender indicted individuals. There are 125+ state parties spread across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia. If an ICC warrant drops for Trump or his commanders, they can't travel safely anywhere except the US. No G7 summits. No European trips. No global diplomatic legitimacy. That's not a minor consequence.
Post 6: The Political Consensus Problem (For Now)
Right now, international consensus for prosecuting Trump administration officials doesn't exist. But understand what you're betting on: that this never changes. That the political calculus never shifts. That enough countries never align around accountability. You're not betting on law. You're betting on politics staying frozen exactly as it is. History suggests that's a bad bet.
Post 7: A Message for the Staffers
If you're working in this administration handling Venezuela policy or military operations: you're not operating in a legal gray zone. You're participating in documented killings in waters adjacent to a Rome Statute signatory nation. The ICC's liability clock started running in September. Your compliance memo won't protect you. Your position won't protect you. Your loyalty won't protect you. Ask yourself: how confident are you that political consensus never shifts?
Post 8: They Always Thought They Were Untouchable
Pinochet thought he was untouchable. Milosevic thought he was untouchable. Assad thought he was untouchable. They all operated in eras where their countries had power and allies. Then circumstances changed. Allies shifted. Political will emerged. The Rome Statute is designed for exactly this: to create legal liability that outlasts temporary political protection. Trump's people are banking on immortality. That's not a strategy.
Post 9: Geneva Conventions Apply Anyway
Here's the thing that should terrify anyone advising Trump: even if the ICC jurisdiction were somehow unclear (it isn't), the Geneva Conventions apply to extrajudicial killings. War crimes. Crimes against humanity. These aren't technicalities—they're established law with 75+ years of precedent. You can't bomb suspected criminals without trial and call it counternarcotics. The international legal system has a name for that, and it's a war crime.
Post 10: When the Political Consensus Shifts
Right now, the US can shield its officials because diplomatic consensus holds. But Rome Statute signatory states are under legal obligation to arrest and surrender indicted individuals. That obligation doesn't disappear when the administration changes or when circumstances shift. The question isn't whether the law exists. The question is: how long does the political protection last? And what happens the day it doesn't? Trump's people should be very afraid of that day.
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