extrajudicial killing

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CARIBBEAN SEA - SEPTEMBER 22: In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, An AH-1Z Cobra, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), fires an air-to-ground missile (AGM) 114N during a live-fire exercise on September 22, 2025 in the Caribbean sea.

Using an Unmarked Aircraft to Attack an Alleged Drug Boat: Is it Perfidy?

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?
People watch the smoke rising from Port of La Guaira after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on January 03, 2026 in La Guaira, Venezuela. According to some reports, explosions were heard in Caracas and other cities near airports and military bases around 2 am. US President Donald Trump later announce that his country's military had launched a "large-scale" attack on Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

U.S. Intelligence in a Post-Maduro Venezuela

Intelligence has a central role to play in capitalizing on the successful capture of Maduro and stabilizing post-Maduro Venezuela, demonstrating U.S. capabilities and resolve.

Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve

Collection of expert analysis on the legality of the U.S. strike on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean, the consequences of the strike, and related issues.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 02: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Expert Q&A on U.S. Military Actions on Venezuela and Boat Strikes

Expert FAQ on the U.S. military operations against Venezuela, high seas boat strikes, seizure of vessels and more.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions during a press briefing

Was the Visit and Seizure of the Skipper off the Coast of Venezuela Lawful?

Experts examine the international law basis of the U.S. boarding and seizure of a vessel carrying Venezuelan crude.
Aerial view of the Pentagon

The International Law Obligation to Investigate the Boat Strikes

Operation Southern Spear’s lethal boat strikes are unlawful under IHRL and, even on the administration’s own terms, trigger binding LOAC and DoD duties to investigate.

The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder

Detailing how, under different scenarios, international law and U.S. past practices apply to Sept. 2 boat strike on survivors.
The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), left, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), front, USS Mahan (DDG 72), back, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, Nov. 13, 2025; transiting the Anegada Passage and entered the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 16, 2025

Operation Southern Spear: Why the Crews, Drugs, and Boats are Not Targetable

A deep dive on the international law applicable to the U.S. military's lethal operations against suspected drug boats
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 18: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Committee met to hear testimony on the proposed budget request for fiscal year 2026 and the future year's defense program for the Department of Defense. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

U.S. Boat Strike Campaign: Questions Congress Should Ask Executive Branch Officials

A list of questions that should be answered by U.S. government officials regarding the lethal campaign against suspected drug trafficking individuals, groups, and vessels.
Military justice image

Professional Responsibility and the Boat Strikes

Legal and ethical debates surge around unreleased OLC memo on lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean, with growing calls for transparency and scrutiny of military lawyers.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks down stairs

From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)

The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.
Screenshot of the mock legal review by Daniel Maurer.

Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes

A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.
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