U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers

A timeline that chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Does the killing of Tren de Aragua's leader by the U.S. military in Venezuela constitute murder? An extrajudicial killing? What was its purported legal basis?

If no one acts, U.S. crimes in the Caribbean and Pacific will embolden other bad actors and encourage more violations of international law.

The Shield of the Americas operationalizes the 2025 National Security Strategy, creating serious consequences for sovereignty, civil-military relations, and democratic governance.

The U.S. military continues maritime strikes on alleged drug smugglers and may now be hitting targets on land. Brian Finucane analyzes Trump’s latest War Powers report.

The legal memo justifying its Venezuela operations provides insight into the administration's use-of-force decisions and the factual evidence undergirding them.

Key excerpts from the Jan. 5 U.N. Security Council meeting on the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.

Analysis of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and the legal consequences of classifying them as arbitrary killings or war crimes under international law.

In Burnley v. United States, relatives sue on behalf of two Trinidadian men killed in a boat strike, confronting U.S. sovereign immunity and the political question doctrine.

In‑depth legal examination of the U.S. capture of the Russian‑flagged tanker Marinera and its implications under the law of naval warfare.

Did the Sept. 2 strike on suspected drug traffickers using an unmarked aircraft violate the prohibition on perfidy, or other LOAC rules, had there been an armed conflict?

Based on the publicly available information to date, it is difficult to sustain the lawfulness of the U.S.-led and UK-supported seizure of the Marinera.