Alex Horton
@alexhorton.bsky.social
Military reporter at The Washington Post. Iraq veteran. Signal: alexhorton.85
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Alex Horton
@alexhorton.bsky.social
· Feb 15
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I cover the U.S. military and the Pentagon for @washingtonpost.com. Send secure tips and story ideas on Signal:
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Reposted by Alex Horton
New: We got an internal ICE document revealing its $100 million ad plan to bring in 14,000 new hires: deals with "tactical" influencers; ads to gun & military buffs; and geo-targeting phones around NASCAR races and gun shows.
A "wartime recruitment" mode with paramilitary branding: wapo.st/44QrP5j
A "wartime recruitment" mode with paramilitary branding: wapo.st/44QrP5j
ICE plans $100 million ‘wartime recruitment’ push targeting gun shows, military fans for hires
An internal ICE document shared among immigration officials details plans to use influencers and geo-targeted ads to rapidly hire thousands of deportation officers.
wapo.st
December 31, 2025 at 12:09 PM
New: We got an internal ICE document revealing its $100 million ad plan to bring in 14,000 new hires: deals with "tactical" influencers; ads to gun & military buffs; and geo-targeting phones around NASCAR races and gun shows.
A "wartime recruitment" mode with paramilitary branding: wapo.st/44QrP5j
A "wartime recruitment" mode with paramilitary branding: wapo.st/44QrP5j
Reposted by Alex Horton
Here you have it—an ALL NEW @talkingfeds.bsky.social w/ @natashabertrand.bsky.social, @alexhorton.bsky.social & #StevenJLepper.
We examine the damage Trump has done to the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth’s tenure, and the dangerous logic behind new uses of U.S. military power. bit.ly/MilitaryTF
We examine the damage Trump has done to the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth’s tenure, and the dangerous logic behind new uses of U.S. military power. bit.ly/MilitaryTF
December 29, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Here you have it—an ALL NEW @talkingfeds.bsky.social w/ @natashabertrand.bsky.social, @alexhorton.bsky.social & #StevenJLepper.
We examine the damage Trump has done to the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth’s tenure, and the dangerous logic behind new uses of U.S. military power. bit.ly/MilitaryTF
We examine the damage Trump has done to the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth’s tenure, and the dangerous logic behind new uses of U.S. military power. bit.ly/MilitaryTF
This is true. Some narco subs have mechanisms to scuttle the vessel before they are boarded to destroy evidence linked to larger cartel operations. In this case, the US did it themselves, and even the lowest level drug runners eluded charges
The only outcome more preferable to drug cartels would be flawless delivery. The evidence is destroyed, no one talked and they even got some of the expendable crew back free of charge.
Coast Guard interdiction would have seen them all in federal lockup right now looking to cut deals.
Coast Guard interdiction would have seen them all in federal lockup right now looking to cut deals.
OF ALL THE VESSELS SUNK BY THE U.S. it was the likeliest to have been carrying drugs: a semisubmersible with at least one convicted trafficker on board. The U.S. blew it up, destroyed the evidence and let the survivors go GIFT LINK @schmidtsam.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social
wapo.st/4qq5ymS
wapo.st/4qq5ymS
December 27, 2025 at 7:06 PM
This is true. Some narco subs have mechanisms to scuttle the vessel before they are boarded to destroy evidence linked to larger cartel operations. In this case, the US did it themselves, and even the lowest level drug runners eluded charges
Reposted by Alex Horton
OF ALL THE VESSELS SUNK BY THE U.S. it was the likeliest to have been carrying drugs: a semisubmersible with at least one convicted trafficker on board. The U.S. blew it up, destroyed the evidence and let the survivors go GIFT LINK @schmidtsam.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social
wapo.st/4qq5ymS
wapo.st/4qq5ymS
The U.S. sank the alleged narco-terrorists’ boat — and let them go
In blowing up the vessel, destroying evidence and repatriating the survivors, the U.S. cut short a process that’s helped bring down traffickers.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 27, 2025 at 5:58 PM
OF ALL THE VESSELS SUNK BY THE U.S. it was the likeliest to have been carrying drugs: a semisubmersible with at least one convicted trafficker on board. The U.S. blew it up, destroyed the evidence and let the survivors go GIFT LINK @schmidtsam.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social
wapo.st/4qq5ymS
wapo.st/4qq5ymS
A drug boat in the Atlantic was likely heading to Europe, not the US, when an AC-130J attacked it.
What happened next with two survivors defied what the admin and Pentagon have said about alleged “narco-terrorists.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
What happened next with two survivors defied what the admin and Pentagon have said about alleged “narco-terrorists.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
The U.S. sank the alleged narco-terrorists’ boat — and let them go
In blowing up the vessel, destroying evidence and repatriating the survivors, the U.S. cut short a process that’s helped bring down traffickers.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
A drug boat in the Atlantic was likely heading to Europe, not the US, when an AC-130J attacked it.
What happened next with two survivors defied what the admin and Pentagon have said about alleged “narco-terrorists.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
What happened next with two survivors defied what the admin and Pentagon have said about alleged “narco-terrorists.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Reposted by Alex Horton
Pleased to speak with the @washingtonpost.com about the US disposition of the survivors of the October 16th maritime strike.
“Once they had custody of these people, it was clear … they were going to try to get rid of them expeditiously.”
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
“Once they had custody of these people, it was clear … they were going to try to get rid of them expeditiously.”
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
The U.S. sank the alleged narco-terrorists’ boat — and let them go
In blowing up the vessel, destroying evidence and repatriating the survivors, the U.S. cut short a process that’s helped bring down traffickers.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 27, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Pleased to speak with the @washingtonpost.com about the US disposition of the survivors of the October 16th maritime strike.
“Once they had custody of these people, it was clear … they were going to try to get rid of them expeditiously.”
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
“Once they had custody of these people, it was clear … they were going to try to get rid of them expeditiously.”
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Reposted by Alex Horton
INSIDE EL CECOT (GIFT LINK) The Post's reporting on the Salvadoran prison where the Trump administration sent migrants deported from the United States, based on interviews with 16 former detainees
wapo.st/3KUUv6n
wapo.st/3KUUv6n
‘Welcome to hell’: Inside the megaprison where the U.S. deported migrants
Interviews with 16 former detainees of El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center offer the most complete view yet of conditions inside the notorious prison.
wapo.st
December 22, 2025 at 5:49 AM
INSIDE EL CECOT (GIFT LINK) The Post's reporting on the Salvadoran prison where the Trump administration sent migrants deported from the United States, based on interviews with 16 former detainees
wapo.st/3KUUv6n
wapo.st/3KUUv6n
Reposted by Alex Horton
extraordinary forensic reporting from my investigative colleagues at @washingtonpost.com :
@imogenpiper.bsky.social + @abtran.bsky.social + @alexhorton.bsky.social + John Farrell + Brian Perlman
@imogenpiper.bsky.social + @abtran.bsky.social + @alexhorton.bsky.social + John Farrell + Brian Perlman
For our new visual investigation into how night vision and city lights may have played a part in the DCA crash we flew a drone along the helicopters route, filmed incoming planes through night vision goggles, and analyzed it all within a 3D model of Washington, D.C.
Watch here wapo.st/4atdTBI
Watch here wapo.st/4atdTBI
In deadly D.C. plane crash, city lights may have played a role. See how.
The Post examined the bright skyline around Reagan National Airport and whether it may have been a factor in the January accident, which killed 67 people.
wapo.st
December 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
extraordinary forensic reporting from my investigative colleagues at @washingtonpost.com :
@imogenpiper.bsky.social + @abtran.bsky.social + @alexhorton.bsky.social + John Farrell + Brian Perlman
@imogenpiper.bsky.social + @abtran.bsky.social + @alexhorton.bsky.social + John Farrell + Brian Perlman
Reposted by Alex Horton
The brightness of the DC skyline (National Harbor has gotten 3x brighter in a decade) and lights from inbound aircraft may have contributed to the deadliest US airline crash in 20 years. By @imogenpiper.bsky.social, @abtran.bsky.social, @alexhorton.bsky.social, @jb1prod.bsky.social & Brian Perlman:
In deadly D.C. plane crash, city lights may have played a role. See how.
The Post examined the bright skyline around Reagan National Airport and whether it may have been a factor in the January accident, which killed 67 people.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM
The brightness of the DC skyline (National Harbor has gotten 3x brighter in a decade) and lights from inbound aircraft may have contributed to the deadliest US airline crash in 20 years. By @imogenpiper.bsky.social, @abtran.bsky.social, @alexhorton.bsky.social, @jb1prod.bsky.social & Brian Perlman:
Reposted by Alex Horton
Excellent breakdown of potential contributing factors to the tragic air collision over the Potomac. Class B information overload + lights & NVGs potential contributors via @imogenpiper.bsky.social @jb1prod.bsky.social @abtran.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social Brian Perlman wapo.st/4atdTBI
In deadly D.C. plane crash, city lights may have played a role. See how.
The Post examined the bright skyline around Reagan National Airport and whether it may have been a factor in the January accident, which killed 67 people.
wapo.st
December 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Excellent breakdown of potential contributing factors to the tragic air collision over the Potomac. Class B information overload + lights & NVGs potential contributors via @imogenpiper.bsky.social @jb1prod.bsky.social @abtran.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social Brian Perlman wapo.st/4atdTBI
Reposted by Alex Horton
For the last few months, I've been working on a story about January's crash near Washington, D.C. What I learned was that it was simply an accident waiting to happen.
Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong (via @theaircurrent.com) theaircurrent.com/aviation-saf...
Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong (via @theaircurrent.com) theaircurrent.com/aviation-saf...
Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong
D.C. midair crash was the result of a complete collapse of the protections designed to keep aviation safe — and the institutions that design and maintain them
theaircurrent.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
For the last few months, I've been working on a story about January's crash near Washington, D.C. What I learned was that it was simply an accident waiting to happen.
Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong (via @theaircurrent.com) theaircurrent.com/aviation-saf...
Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong (via @theaircurrent.com) theaircurrent.com/aviation-saf...
Reposted by Alex Horton
POST EXCLUSIVE (GIFT LINK) Miller and others wanted to strike cartels in Mexico. But as the administration hardened the border, Mexico curbed cartel action, leaving them to look for other targets @ellenwapo.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social and @danlamothe.bsky.social report
wapo.st/4p66tIm
wapo.st/4p66tIm
Stephen Miller’s hard-line Mexico strategy morphed into deadly boat strikes
President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller, had a plan to target Mexican drug cartels. That strategy morphed into lethal boat strikes.
wapo.st
December 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
POST EXCLUSIVE (GIFT LINK) Miller and others wanted to strike cartels in Mexico. But as the administration hardened the border, Mexico curbed cartel action, leaving them to look for other targets @ellenwapo.bsky.social @alexhorton.bsky.social and @danlamothe.bsky.social report
wapo.st/4p66tIm
wapo.st/4p66tIm
The Trump admin wanted to be tough on drugs by striking Mexican cartels. Their allies produced good results, so Stephen Miller and others went looking for another venue.
How we got to boat strikes, and a focus on Venezuela.
Free to read link: wapo.st/4p66tIm
How we got to boat strikes, and a focus on Venezuela.
Free to read link: wapo.st/4p66tIm
Stephen Miller’s hard-line Mexico strategy morphed into deadly boat strikes
President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller, had a plan to target Mexican drug cartels. That strategy morphed into lethal boat strikes.
wapo.st
December 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The Trump admin wanted to be tough on drugs by striking Mexican cartels. Their allies produced good results, so Stephen Miller and others went looking for another venue.
How we got to boat strikes, and a focus on Venezuela.
Free to read link: wapo.st/4p66tIm
How we got to boat strikes, and a focus on Venezuela.
Free to read link: wapo.st/4p66tIm
Reposted by Alex Horton
NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!
My guide:
My guide:
Giving the gift of independent journalism: a guide
The Handbasket has subscription suggestions for almost everyone on your list.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 6, 2025 at 3:38 PM
NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!
My guide:
My guide:
Reposted by Alex Horton
NEW: Hegseth asked SOUTHCOM Adm. Alvin Holsey to step down, a de facto ouster that was the culmination of months of discord between the two that intensified when Holsey had initial concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Exclusive | Hegseth Asked Top Admiral to Resign After Months of Discord
The relationship between the Pentagon chief and Adm. Alvin Holsey had been rocky since Trump’s inauguration.
www.wsj.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:27 AM
NEW: Hegseth asked SOUTHCOM Adm. Alvin Holsey to step down, a de facto ouster that was the culmination of months of discord between the two that intensified when Holsey had initial concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
I went on @nprfreshair.bsky.social with Terry Gross to lay out what we know and don’t know about the administration’s second deadly strike on Sept 2, which killed two survivors in the Caribbean www.npr.org/2025/12/03/n...
Did the Trump administration commit a war crime in its attack on a Venezuelan boat?
Washington Post reporter Alex Horton talks about the Sept. 2 U.S. military strike on a boat with alleged "narco terrorists," in which a second strike was ordered to kill two survivors in the water.
www.npr.org
December 3, 2025 at 8:41 PM
I went on @nprfreshair.bsky.social with Terry Gross to lay out what we know and don’t know about the administration’s second deadly strike on Sept 2, which killed two survivors in the Caribbean www.npr.org/2025/12/03/n...
Reposted by Alex Horton
If the U.S. was at war, Pete Hegseth's order would be a war crime, a military lawyer said. Instead, it might just be murder. wapo.st/49KbUJ1
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
If the U.S. was at war, Pete Hegseth's order would be a war crime, a military lawyer said. Instead, it might just be murder. wapo.st/49KbUJ1
Exclusive: Hegseth ordered everyone killed in the first alleged drug boat strike on Sept. 2, prompting a second hit to finish off survivors in the water in a mission led by SEAL Team 6. Ordering no quarter could legally perilous www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Exclusive: Hegseth ordered everyone killed in the first alleged drug boat strike on Sept. 2, prompting a second hit to finish off survivors in the water in a mission led by SEAL Team 6. Ordering no quarter could legally perilous www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Exclusive: the White House considered dropping leaflets over Caracas, touting a $50M reward for info leading to Maduro's arrest and conviction. They eyed a mission for tomorrow -- Maduro's 63rd birthday. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
White House considers leaflet drop to pressure Maduro on his birthday
The White House has proposed a leaflet drop over Caracas, reminding citizens about the $50 million U.S. bounty on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Exclusive: the White House considered dropping leaflets over Caracas, touting a $50M reward for info leading to Maduro's arrest and conviction. They eyed a mission for tomorrow -- Maduro's 63rd birthday. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Happy Veterans Day to all the NDSM recipients, the true heroes after KBR 🫡
November 11, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Happy Veterans Day to all the NDSM recipients, the true heroes after KBR 🫡
Trump’s suggestion of military action in Nigeria met reality with AFRICOM, which expressed doubts that a military response to violence would do anything.
Free to read: wapo.st/3JECubO
Free to read: wapo.st/3JECubO
November 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Trump’s suggestion of military action in Nigeria met reality with AFRICOM, which expressed doubts that a military response to violence would do anything.
Free to read: wapo.st/3JECubO
Free to read: wapo.st/3JECubO
Reposted by Alex Horton
National Guard personnel focused on nuclear disasters and terrorist attacks will instead be given riot-control gear and sent into cities, a sign that Trump military deployments into urban centers "could become the norm" wapo.st/433N9Dk @alexhorton.bsky.social @davidovalle.bsky.social
Pentagon readying thousands of Guard ‘reaction forces’ as U.S. mission widens
The Defense Department’s newly established “quick reaction force” within the National Guard is being readied for civil unrest missions in U.S. cities.
wapo.st
October 30, 2025 at 1:27 PM
National Guard personnel focused on nuclear disasters and terrorist attacks will instead be given riot-control gear and sent into cities, a sign that Trump military deployments into urban centers "could become the norm" wapo.st/433N9Dk @alexhorton.bsky.social @davidovalle.bsky.social
Q: What are the Pentagon’s military objectives in the Western Hemisphere, and how do the strikes help reach that outcome?
A: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
October 28, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Q: What are the Pentagon’s military objectives in the Western Hemisphere, and how do the strikes help reach that outcome?
A: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reposted by Alex Horton
Pleased to speak to @alexhorton.bsky.social for @washingtonpost.com about the disposition of the survivors from the latest U.S. strike in the Caribbean.
Repatriating them appears to have been the least worst option from the administration’s standpoint.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Repatriating them appears to have been the least worst option from the administration’s standpoint.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. to repatriate survivors of drug boat strike to Colombia, Ecuador
It is unclear if the two surviving alleged drug smugglers have any links to Venezuelan criminal organizations.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Pleased to speak to @alexhorton.bsky.social for @washingtonpost.com about the disposition of the survivors from the latest U.S. strike in the Caribbean.
Repatriating them appears to have been the least worst option from the administration’s standpoint.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Repatriating them appears to have been the least worst option from the administration’s standpoint.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Correct. This story would have violated the Pentagon’s new restrictions had we signed it.
A fine example of a story that would require the Pentagon’s approval under the new media policy that The Post and others refused to sign
Strong work from @alexhorton.bsky.social and @samueloakford.bsky.social
Strong work from @alexhorton.bsky.social and @samueloakford.bsky.social
Exclusive: The U.S. military’s elite Special Operations aviation unit appears to have flown in Caribbean waters less than 90 miles from the coast of Venezuela in recent days, according to a visual analysis by The Post.
October 16, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Correct. This story would have violated the Pentagon’s new restrictions had we signed it.