President Donald Trump has launched a campaign of missile strikes against alleged narcoterrorist boats in the Caribbean, raising questions about presidential authority and the use of force—and also showcasing the technology of tactics of America at war in the 21st century. Granted, the strikes against Venezuelan drug runners are not full-scale war—but they are acts of war on a miniature scale, borrowing heavily from the lessons learned throughout the Global War on Terrorism, where drones were used to target suspected terrorists around the world. And while the Trump administration has withheld operational details about the maritime strikes, open-source clues suggest a modern, precision-guided interdiction.

The targets so far have been small boats—so called “go-fasts” or slower fishing vessels, both of which are often used for drug smuggling. Such boats ride low in the water and are usually made of fiberglass,........

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