Staff Reports
Senator Mike Lee of Utah is cooking up a plan that has all the intrigue of a blockbuster movie—letters from President Donald Trump that would allow everyday Americans to take on violent street gangs and drug cartels. It sounds like something you’d find tucked away in old pirate lore or a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but Lee insists this idea could be a legitimate tool to combat the ongoing drug crisis. With Congress’s blessing, soon there could be a fleet of American privateers, possibly donning MAGA flags, chasing criminals across the Gulf of Mexico.
According to Lee, the U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to bestow Letters of Marque and Reprisal, giving these everyday citizens—not just the military—the authority to act when the federal response seems like a snail crawling backwards. These letters would allow for the formation of a civilian force to take aim at the drug cartels that have been wreaking havoc across the southern border. The senator’s proposal imagines a Wild West-like environment—armed vigilantes cruising the high seas and patrolling U.S. borders, armed to the teeth and ready to take down bad actors.
Anyone need a targeting officer for their pirate ship? I also shoot ril gud. 🏴☠️https://t.co/e692kPX1Am pic.twitter.com/7kdyiHdS9c
— Shoe (@samosaur) February 12, 2025
One can picture a fleet of “pirate ships,” perhaps outfitted with the latest tech, blasting through the waves, proudly flying both American and Trump banners, striking fear into the hearts of drug lords who would otherwise operate without consequence. It paints quite the picture—bands of former special forces soldiers and skilled marksmen, itching for action, could soon become a force against those flooding the country with fentanyl. After all, who wouldn’t love to sequester themselves in the excitement of maritime escapades while fighting for American safety?
The ramifications may stretch beyond the realm of adventure stories. Lee emphasizes the potential to revoke the cartels’ hold on their territory and recover illicit gains while protecting the nation’s borders. A legal structure would be laid out, so these de facto privateers could pursue their targets outside U.S. boundaries and bring in the spoils for their efforts. It’s a modern reinterpretation of privateering that could intertwine history and contemporary security challenges, if one buys into Lee’s vision.
America is, after all, grappling with an escalating crisis that sees drug cartels invading its neighborhoods. These organizations pose an extraordinary threat to public safety, and as traditional solutions seem inefficient, Lee believes that empowering citizens with these letters can be a game-changer. Enlisting military and law enforcement veterans could be a way to reinforce communities left vulnerable by years of government mismanagement.
With everything in place, Senator Lee might just be the captain of this high-seas adventure, steering the ship of American policy in the direction of action that is as entertaining as it is practical. The idea may sound like a Sylvester Stallone flick, but if done right, it could transform the way the nation views citizen involvement in keeping the peace. Adventure awaits, and who knows? That everyday American may soon be holding a letter from Trump, ready to take on the bad guys just off the coast.
