Posted on 01/28/2025 9:21:45 AM PST by Red Badger
U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has an amazing plan to fight the cartels: bring back legal pirating, which is fully authorized in our Constitution.
Check out his thread on how it will work:
1/ What Are Letters Of Marque And Reprisal And How Could They Be Used To Weaken Drug Cartels?
2/ Letters of marque and reprisal are government-issued commissions that authorize private citizens (privateers) to perform acts that would otherwise be considered piracy, like attacking enemy ships during wartime Privateers are rewarded with a cut of the loot they 'bring home'
3/ Legal Basis in the U.S. The U.S. Constitution authorizes these commissions in Article I, Section 8, giving Congress the power to 'grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal' While Congress hasn't issued one in over a century, the authority to do so still exists
4/ Modern Context: Mexican Drug Cartels Using letters of marque could be a novel, but effective response to unique threats posed by drug cartels — especially in response to threats by the cartels to target U.S. planes returning illegal immigrants to their countries of origin
5/ How Could They Be Applied? - Authorization: Congress could issue letters of marque and reprisal authorizing private security firms or specially trained civilians to intercept cartel operations, particularly those involving drug shipments or human trafficking across borders - Targets: Focus on disrupting supply lines, capturing high-value targets, or seizing assets like boats, vehicles, cash, gold, or equipment used in criminal activities
6/ Advantages - Flexibility: Private entities operate with more agility than the government, adapting quickly with the tactics of cartels - Cost: Would reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, as privateers receive only a cut of what they recover & return to the U.S.
7/ Criticism The use of letters of marque and reprisal would undoubtedly draw criticism, especially from those inclined to elevate abstract, often-inchoate principles of what they deem 'international law' above the sovereign interests of the United States
8/ Dismissing the possible use of letters of marque to combat Mexican drug cartels — either on the basis of 'international law' or otherwise — overlooks the clear and present threat posed by those cartels to the U.S. This could prove to be an effective alternative to war
9/ We have no desire to go to war with our southern neighbor But we also can't ignore the fact that drug cartels are now threatening to target U.S. planes deporting illegal aliens That sounds like a great reason to consider issuing letters of marque and reprisal
10/ Letters of marque and reprisal have worked well for the U.S. — and countless other countries — in the past We'd be wrong not to consider using them against the cartels
We're entering into an extraordinary period of history. Think of Queen Elizabeth I and the famous privateer Sir Francis Drake.
So what do you say, folks? Want to come down to the border and be a pirate privateer with me?
chrisinoc wrote:
“
Lee is talking about this on Benny Johnson’s show now.
“
Good; Benny has connections...
bkmk
Yeah they have up-armored heavy trucks with .50s mounted on turrets, plus gun slits on both sides. Troops have RPGs and mortars
I do really like the idea of Congress issuing “letters of marque.” I would like to outfit a deep water speed boat with federal government authorized cannons, rockets, and .50 BMG.
It would make for a great deep sea fishing boat.
Now seriously, would those with letters of marque coordinate well with the US Coast Guard or the similar agencies of other nations? What happens when a privateer captures a boat load of drugs or arms? Do they turn it in for a reward to the US federal government? Do they get to tow the loot to a foreign port and sell it to the highest bidder?
There are some details that need to be worked out, but I still like the idea.
LOL
Learn something new every day.
If it weren’t for the help of a privateer, Andrew Jackson would have lost the Battle of New Orleans. Jean Lafitte - the scourge of the Gulf of America!
“Just because “it’s in the Constitution” only shows its unpractical nature makes it unnecessary to bother removing.”
Funny. Leftists say the exact same thing about the 2nd Amendment. And your sentence structure is abysmal.
Letters of Marque are still part of the Constitution. Therefore by definition they are legal.
I say we give them a try.
L
That ship has already sailed. All that's missing is privateers and buccaneers pursuing them for fun and profit.
And Great Justice.
He’s getting old..................
I understand that it is an amoral ‘solution’, with so many negative possible consequences as to be insane.
If THIS is the solution to whatever problems the United States faces, then there is no need for a United States.
Yes, get former military involved, or something similar. Tell them they can keep 50% of the money seized, and any deaths incurred will be cremated at govt expense with no questions.
By most estimates, the Cartels have manpower of 175,000. The SEALS have zero chance of defeating such a large force. Private contractors even less so. The cartels would ruthlessly hunt them down. And I mean -ruthlessly-.
I’m talking a car bomb at McP’s Pub in Coronado. Family members kidnapped and beheaded. Cartels have mining engineering divisions. They have intelligence divisions that are extremely competent, young and techy.
No band of commandos is going to defeat them.
At best, they might snatch a leader here or there, blow something up, snipe someone. But they won’t make a dent without a heavy duty conventional force commitment.
Movies have badly skewed people’s ideas of what SOF can actually accomplish and what they are intended for.
And yeah, it is our problem even if they are private. The AO will NOT stay south of the border. You’ll see missiles shot at airliners here in America, assassinations, the families of these guys kidnapped and beheaded, etc.
Too much Call to Duty has made people very out of touch with reality. SOF would have a place in a cartel war, but only as a part of a conventional effort.
Barrett’s Privateers:
Enjoy the listen listen , especially if you are a Navy man or a sailor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwzRkjn86w
“What constitutes a problem in your mind? Human trafficking?
Distributing poison that kills 100,000 or so people a year?
Firing on Border Patrol Agents? Kidnapping? Please give us your list.”
My Post 11 included the comment: “However, I would only consider using it (letters of marque) if the drug cartels become a problem.”
This was intended as my audition to write for the Bee. If I don’t get hired I’ve wasted some good material.
“By most estimates, the Cartels have manpower of 175,000.”
Round it to 200,000.
Chop off 20,000 of the top leaders. Undermine payments to the bottom 90 percent.
The problem starts to get more manageable.
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