Indonesian Speedboat Tragedy Exposes Global Safety Failures and Risks to U.S. Interests

When a speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a sudden storm off Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, the tragic event was more than a local maritime accident—it was a glaring symptom of systemic failures in safety oversight across critical global trade routes. As rescuers struggle to find the 11 missing, including children and a local parliamentarian, American policymakers should see this as an urgent call to scrutinize how weak governance abroad imperils America’s national security and economic prosperity. How Much Risk Will Washington Tolerate? The ill-fated boat departed Sikakap heading for Tuapejat, less than a two-hour journey through Indonesia’s treacherous archipelago of...