MS NOW reports that Stephen Miller, Trump's new chief of staff, was a driving force behind the deadly U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats, which have killed 236 people in 71 strikes and began as pressure on Nicolás Maduro, whom the U.S. captured in January 2026. Legal groups and former officials like Stacey Young call the strikes and Miller's wider influence lawless, while the White House's Lauren Bis credits him with border security and other successes and predicts more to come.