Overview
- Three witnesses told Reuters that Bove made the “sink the boats” remark on at least three occasions between November 2024 and February 2025, including a Feb. 20 address to OCDETF personnel.
- Since Sept. 2, U.S. forces have conducted 21 strikes on suspected drug vessels, killing more than 80 people as officials describe the targets as narco‑terrorists after certain cartels were designated terrorist groups.
- The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel drafted a classified opinion over the summer to justify the use of force and concluded no additional war powers were required because U.S. personnel were not in danger.
- The administration has shared legal rationales with select lawmakers but has not provided public evidence that the struck boats carried narcotics or posed a threat to Americans.
- A DOJ spokesperson dismissed the accounts as leaks from disgruntled former employees, Bove declined comment through a court spokesperson, Senate Democrats demanded access to the opinion after being excluded from a classified briefing, and Attorney General Pam Bondi later shut down the OCDETF office.