I'm not terribly comfortable with them droning a boat in foreign waters, but if the blockade is announced(I don't think it officially was) it is fair game.
It would also, absolutely, be fair game if a boat of foreigners in a foreign craft were rushing at high speed towards US waters away from a port of entry. US Coast Guard revenue cutters have had cannons for that purpose continually for hundreds of years. They don't have a right to enter US waters with contraband goods. They outfitted their boat to outrun Coast Guard (US or someone else's).
I'm not terribly comfortable with them droning a boat in foreign waters, but if the blockade is announced(I don't think it officially was) it is fair game.
A blockade is an act of war. Does that require a declaration of war?
No, it requires declaring a blockade, then it would be on Venezuela to declare war or seek UN aid. If the UNSC approves the blockade, then Venezuela is on their own. If the UNSC does not approve, they can seek a resolution from the UN the General Assembly, which the US can veto. They are thus back to square one, and can make war and seek allies in a bilateral fashion.
They likely realize that would go poorly for them, and so they are doing as they are doing and complaining and nothing more.
I'm not terribly comfortable with them droning a boat in foreign waters, but if the blockade is announced(I don't think it officially was) it is fair game.
It would also, absolutely, be fair game if a boat of foreigners in a foreign craft were rushing at high speed towards US waters away from a port of entry. US Coast Guard revenue cutters have had cannons for that purpose continually for hundreds of years. They don't have a right to enter US waters with contraband goods. They outfitted their boat to outrun Coast Guard (US or someone else's).
A blockade is an act of war. Does that require a declaration of war?
No, it requires declaring a blockade, then it would be on Venezuela to declare war or seek UN aid. If the UNSC approves the blockade, then Venezuela is on their own. If the UNSC does not approve, they can seek a resolution from the UN the General Assembly, which the US can veto. They are thus back to square one, and can make war and seek allies in a bilateral fashion.
They likely realize that would go poorly for them, and so they are doing as they are doing and complaining and nothing more.