Venezuela Civilian Boat Strikes
🔴 Abuse of Power ·
Sep–Dec 2025
Summary
Beginning September 2, 2025, Trump ordered at least 35 military strikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 115 people. Trump claimed all vessels were narco-terrorist operations, but the U.S. never presented public evidence of drugs on the targeted boats. The Guardian and local families reported many of those killed were civilian fishermen. In at least one case, a boat had turned back toward Venezuela before being struck. U.S. policy had historically relied on Coast Guard boarding procedures rather than lethal military strikes.
Key Figures
Institutions Involved
Sources
- Killing of survivors sparks outrage - but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shaky
- US - Maritime Strikes Amount to Extrajudicial Killings
- Trump’s Venezuela boat strikes fuel war crimes allegations. Are they legal