In early June, the United States killed the alleged leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua using a precision missile strike to hit a small building in the Venezuelan countryside. The killing of Héctor “El Niño” Guerrero was reminiscent of U.S. strikes against terrorist targets in the Middle East during the war on terrorism. CERL Advisory Council Member Mary Ellen O’Connell tells the Washington Post that law enforcement is the only lawful method for combatting terrorism, and that Guerrero should have been arrested instead of executed.

Mary Ellen O’Connell is the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law and Research Professor of International Dispute Resolution—Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. Read her bio here. 

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.