US Military Accused of "Heinous" War Crimes After Allegedly Bombing Survivors of Caribbean Drug Strike

Accusations of a "heinous" violation of international law have emerged against the United States military, with insiders alleging that forces deliberately bombed helpless survivors following a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean. Since early September, the Trump administration has engaged in sporadic bombing of boats off the coast of Venezuela under the banner of targeting drug smugglers. These operations have resulted in over 80 deaths, sparking intense criticism that the administration is conducting extrajudicial killings—or, as some critics assert, unwarranted murders—without legal justification.

​New revelations regarding the campaign’s first strike on September 2, near Trinidad, paint a grim picture. According to reporting by The Intercept, later corroborated by The Washington Post and CNN, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly issued a verbal directive to "kill everybody." Sources with direct knowledge described a scene where a missile struck the vessel, igniting a massive fire. As commanders watched the live drone feed, they observed two survivors clinging to the smoldering wreckage. To comply with the standing "no survivors" order, a second strike was reportedly launched, blowing the defenseless men apart in the water.

​President Trump publicly acknowledged the mission minutes after it occurred, framing the targets as "Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists." He released an edited video of the initial impact, omitting the follow-up strike on the survivors, and issued a stern warning to drug traffickers. However, the destruction of these vessels prior to interdiction marks a sharp departure from standard procedure, where the US Coast Guard typically intercepts suspects for arrest and prosecution. This shift has raised significant moral questions regarding due process and the potential presence of innocent victims, such as human trafficking targets, on board.

​Legal experts have reacted with alarm. Former military lawyer David French described the alleged killing of survivors as "heinous and illegal," noting that targeting individuals who are hors de combat, or unable to fight, is a violation of the laws of war. Ryan Goodman, a former legal adviser to the Department of Defense, termed it a "textbook war crime," drawing parallels to precedents set during World War II trials. Even if the administration classifies these anti-drug operations as an armed conflict, international law strictly prohibits killing survivors who pose no threat. Without the classification of war, experts warn that such bombings could legally amount to murder.

​The Department of War has pushed back, with spokesman Sean Parnell calling the legal criticisms false and declaring the operations a success in dismantling narcoterrorism. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers believe they were misled during briefings, having been told the second strike was merely to sink debris posing a navigational hazard. Congressman Seth Moulton dismissed that explanation as "patently absurd" and predicted eventual prosecutions for war crimes. The tension has escalated further, with President Trump and Secretary Hegseth targeting Democrats who recently reminded troops of their duty to disregard illegal orders, labeling the politicians as "seditious."