Investigate the Trump Administration’s Extrajudicial Killings

On September 2nd, US military forces attacked a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people. The Trump administration has since claimed, without evidence, that the vessel was carrying Tren de Aragua drug traffickers and the strike was made in self-defense. While interdiction is the typical protocol for such situations, it seems this step was ignored. Further, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that interdiction does not work, stating, “what will stop them is when you blow them up.". Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signaled his intention to continue extrajudicial attacks.

Days after the attack, Pentagon officials were still scrambling to find a legal basis for attacking a vessel in international waters. Congress has not authorized military force against Venezuela or Tren de Aragua, nor is self-defense an accepted basis for summarily killing suspected drug traffickers. Some Defense officials have labeled the act an attack on civilians. While many details remain murky, one thing is clear: the Trump administration is labeling people as “terrorists” to justify unilaterally murdering people.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) condemned “killing someone without a trial,” while other Senators raised concerns about facing retaliation for the Trump administration’s potential war crimes. Lawmakers must publicly investigate this attack and condemn the administration’s ongoing abuses of power and lawless violence.