Combine the two ideas below into a single story.
Something about a police chief/mayor/whoever responsible for protecting multiple people who might be in danger. (A big political candidate coming to visit, a protest, etcetera.) But they only have so many resources, and they can’t protect both/all. So it’s this really hard decision that might end with causing someone to be unprotected and killed.
Young men (?) who are recruited for “making some quick money” by drugs lords. They are sent on very small ships with very small shipments of coke/drugs/whatever to new and small harbors. This is standard practice to “sneak test” defenses and whether you’re caught—it’s a rite of passage for any new people in the organization, and necessary before you can get a higher rank. But … well, there’s a high likelihood you’re caught, and you will receive absolutely no help then (because it was a test shipment anyway)