Families Sue U.S. Over 'Unlawful' Missile Strike Deaths

Relatives of two men killed in a U.S. missile strike on a suspected drug boat near Venezuela filed a lawsuit, claiming the deaths were in violation of international law. The suit challenges the military campaign carried out under the Trump administration against civilian vessels, seeking damages for the wrongful deaths.

Relatives of two men killed in a U.S. missile strike against a suspected drug boat near Venezuela have filed a lawsuit, claiming their deaths were 'manifestly unlawful.' The legal action, filed Tuesday, marks the first court challenge against one of the 36 U.S. missile strikes authorized by President Donald Trump's administration, which have resulted in over 120 deaths.

The families of Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, the two Trinidadian men who were among six killed during the October 14 incident, maintain they were merely involved in fishing and farm work in Venezuela and were returning to their homes in Trinidad when the attack occurred.

Filed under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute by civil rights lawyers in Boston, the lawsuit seeks damages from the U.S. government. It argues the killings amount to extrajudicial murders and calls for accountability under international law. The lawsuit may lead to judicial scrutiny of the legality of the U.S. military campaign against alleged drug cartels in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)