Seizing Powers From Congress and the States

Trump's Boat Strikes

Trump Ordered a Suspected Drug Boat Destroyed Instead of Stopped, and Announced 11 Dead

Select a Section to Explore

Chapter 1 — Trump Chose Destruction Over Arrest

Chapter 2 — The Strike on Survivors

Chapter 3 — The Cost of the Campaign

Chapter 4 — A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion

1 · Trump Chose Destruction Over Arrest

1 · Trump Chose Destruction Over Arrest — select a subtopic

1.1 — The President Ordered It

1.2 — A Working Alternative

1 · Trump Chose Destruction Over Arrest

1.1 · Trump Chose Destruction Over Arrest

The President Ordered It

On September 2, 2025, Trump ordered a suspected drug boat destroyed in the Caribbean and announced 11 deaths. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that destruction replaced interception on Trump's orders. Trump accused the dead of trafficking drugs for a terrorist-designated gang.

Statement on the United States Airstrike on a Tren de Aragua Vessel in the Caribbean Sea

Earlier this morning, on my orders, U.S. military forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated foreign terrorist organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in international waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. Beware! Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Donald J. Trump, President of the United States · September 2, 2025

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Sources

[1]Statement on the United States Airstrike on a Tren de Aragua Vessel in the Caribbean Sea, Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, DCPD202500886 (Sept. 2, 2025)

[2]Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente at a Joint Press Availability, U.S. Dept. of State, Mexico City (Sept. 3, 2025)

[3]Lead Inspector General Report to Congress, Operation Southern Spear, January 1-March 31, 2026 (released May 21, 2026)

[4]American Civil Liberties Union v. U.S. Department of Justice, No. 25 Civ. 10189 (PAE), Opinion & Order, Document 72 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2026) (Engelmayer, J.)

[5]Rebecca Shabad & Gabe Gutierrez, 'White House confirms second Sept. 2 strike on alleged drug boat,' NBC News (Dec. 1, 2025)

[6]Natasha Bertrand, 'US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say,' CNN (Nov. 28, 2025)

1.2 · Trump Chose Destruction Over Arrest

A Working Alternative

Coast Guard crews could seize drugs and take suspects alive, then sink the empty vessel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration would instead use destruction to deter the cartels.

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Sources

[2]Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente at a Joint Press Availability, U.S. Dept. of State, Mexico City (Sept. 3, 2025)

[7]U.S. Coast Guard Takes on Drug Cartels and Human Smugglers in the Eastern Pacific Through Operation Pacific Viper, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (Aug. 20, 2025)

[8]Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Remarks to Press, U.S. Dept. of State, Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL (Sept. 2, 2025)

2 · The Strike on Survivors

2 · The Strike on Survivors — select a subtopic

2.1 — What Was Confirmed, and What Was Disputed

2.2 — A Navigation Hazard Does Not Erase the People

2 · The Strike on Survivors

2.1 · The Strike on Survivors

What Was Confirmed, and What Was Disputed

The White House confirmed that Adm. Frank Bradley ordered a second strike on the September 2 boat; NBC reported that it killed survivors. The alleged order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to leave no survivors remains disputed, and Trump denied knowing about the second strike.

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Sources

[5]Rebecca Shabad & Gabe Gutierrez, 'White House confirms second Sept. 2 strike on alleged drug boat,' NBC News (Dec. 1, 2025)

[6]Natasha Bertrand, 'US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say,' CNN (Nov. 28, 2025)

[9]Alex Horton & Ellen Nakashima, 'Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all,' The Washington Post (Nov. 28, 2025)

[10]Secretary Pete Hegseth (@SecWar), post on X (Nov. 28, 2025)

[11]Associated Press, 'Navy admiral tells lawmakers there was no kill all order in attack that killed drug boat survivors,' as carried by 6abc Philadelphia (Dec. 4, 2025)

[12]Remarks Prior to a Cabinet Meeting and an Exchange With Reporters, Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, DCPD202501155 (Dec. 2, 2025)

2.2 · The Strike on Survivors

A Navigation Hazard Does Not Erase the People

Pentagon officials defended the second strike as a way to remove a navigation hazard, and Republican Armed Services chairman Roger Wicker said he found no evidence of war crimes after the briefings. CNN reported that the military knew incapacitated survivors were aboard; the Pentagon's own manual says orders to fire on shipwrecked people are clearly illegal. Former Pentagon lawyer Sarah Harrison said killing the suspected traffickers was unlawful because they were civilians; hers is an expert's opinion, not a court's finding. In September 2026, UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul concluded that the campaign violated the right to life and found reasonable grounds to believe the attacks through August constituted crimes against humanity of murder.

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Sources

[5]Rebecca Shabad & Gabe Gutierrez, 'White House confirms second Sept. 2 strike on alleged drug boat,' NBC News (Dec. 1, 2025)

[6]Natasha Bertrand, 'US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say,' CNN (Nov. 28, 2025)

[11]Associated Press, 'Navy admiral tells lawmakers there was no kill all order in attack that killed drug boat survivors,' as carried by 6abc Philadelphia (Dec. 4, 2025)

[13]Chairman Wicker Issues Statement Following Briefing on Lethal Kinetic Strikes in the SOUTHCOM AOR, Office of Sen. Roger Wicker (Dec. 18, 2025)

[14]Department of Defense, Law of War Manual (June 2015, updated July 2023), §§ 18.3.2 and 18.3.2.1, p. 1088

[15]Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, Killing Narco-Terrorists at Sea: briefing note (September 2026), introduction and para. 23

3 · The Cost of the Campaign

3 · The Cost of the Campaign — select a subtopic

3.1 — Hundreds of Millions, and More Deaths

3.2 — Traffickers Adapted; Success Remained Unproved

3.3 — The Families Behind the Count

3 · The Cost of the Campaign

3.1 · The Cost of the Campaign

Hundreds of Millions, and More Deaths

Southern Command reported $820.9 million in campaign costs through June 2026. The inspector general counted an estimated 56 killed or presumed dead in April-June 2026 from the department's public statements, not an independent death tally. The preceding report put the September-March toll at 156 killed or presumed dead, based on public reporting. The campaign continued into October 2026: AP reported at least 235 killed in 70 strikes after the October 4 attack.

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Sources

[3]Lead Inspector General Report to Congress, Operation Southern Spear, January 1-March 31, 2026 (released May 21, 2026)

[16]Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, Operation Southern Spear, April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 (Department of Defense, State and USAID Offices of Inspector General)

[17]Associated Press, report on resumption of boat strikes (Aug. 24, 2026), archived AP page

[18]Kanishka Singh, Reuters, US military says it struck vessel in the Caribbean, killing four (Aug. 25, 2026), republished by Internazionale Aug. 26

[19]U.S. Southern Command, Lethal Kinetic Strike, October 4, 2026, archived official press release

[20]Associated Press, U.S. military says latest strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean kills 4 (Oct. 4, 2026), republished by NBC News

3.2 · The Cost of the Campaign

Traffickers Adapted; Success Remained Unproved

Trump's administration claimed fewer drug boats, but the Congressional Research Service reported that the strikes' effect on drug trafficking remained uncertain. Traffickers changed routes and methods, while the Coast Guard continued seizing cargo and detaining suspects.

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Sources

[2]Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente at a Joint Press Availability, U.S. Dept. of State, Mexico City (Sept. 3, 2025)

[3]Lead Inspector General Report to Congress, Operation Southern Spear, January 1-March 31, 2026 (released May 21, 2026)

[6]Natasha Bertrand, 'US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say,' CNN (Nov. 28, 2025)

[16]Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, Operation Southern Spear, April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 (Department of Defense, State and USAID Offices of Inspector General)

[21]Congressional Research Service, U.S. Foreign Policy in the Western Hemisphere: Issues for Congress, R48960 (May 26, 2026), pp. 15-16

3.3 · The Cost of the Campaign

The Families Behind the Count

The families of Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo allege that a strike Trump said he ordered killed them as they returned to Trinidad. Their lawsuit describes the relatives they supported; it remains stayed without a ruling on the merits.

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Sources

[22]First Amended Complaint, Burnley v. United States, No. 1:26-cv-10364-LTS, Document 45 (D. Mass. filed June 26, 2026)

[23]Docket, Burnley v. United States, No. 1:26-cv-10364 (D. Mass.) (Sorokin, J.), as mirrored by CourtListener

4 · A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion

4 · A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion — select a subtopic

4.1 — A Report to Congress Is Not Its Authorization

4.2 — Congress Got Access; the Public Did Not

4.3 — The Court Rejected Two Secrecy Defenses

4 · A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion

4.1 · A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion

A Report to Congress Is Not Its Authorization

Trump notified Congress and claimed constitutional authority to act in self-defense. Congress rejected withdrawal measures, giving the administration political victories, but the Lead Inspector General reported that Congress had not authorized military force against the drug traffickers.

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Sources

[3]Lead Inspector General Report to Congress, Operation Southern Spear, January 1-March 31, 2026 (released May 21, 2026)

[21]Congressional Research Service, U.S. Foreign Policy in the Western Hemisphere: Issues for Congress, R48960 (May 26, 2026), pp. 15-16

[24]House Document 119-92, Letter Informing Congress of Action Taken Consistent With the War Powers Resolution: the President's letter of September 4, 2025 on military action taken on September 2, 2025 in the Caribbean Sea

[25]U.S. Constitution, art. I, §8 (war power) and art. II, §4 (impeachment) — National Archives transcript

[26]War Powers Resolution, Pub. L. 93-148 (1973) — Avalon Project text

[27]U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 119-1-555, Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 83 (Oct. 8, 2025)

[28]U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 119-1-608, Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 90 (Nov. 6, 2025)

[29]U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 345, H. Con. Res. 61, On Agreeing to the Resolution (Dec. 17, 2025)

4.2 · A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion

Congress Got Access; the Public Did Not

Congress received classified access to the Justice Department's legal opinion governing Trump's boat strikes. Congress also tied part of the Secretary of Defense's office travel funds to disclosure and reporting requirements, including unedited strike video, while the inspector general began a targeting evaluation.

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Sources

[4]American Civil Liberties Union v. U.S. Department of Justice, No. 25 Civ. 10189 (PAE), Opinion & Order, Document 72 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2026) (Engelmayer, J.)

[16]Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, Operation Southern Spear, April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 (Department of Defense, State and USAID Offices of Inspector General)

[30]SASC Leaders Request Defense Department Orders and Information on Counternarcotics Operations, Office of Sen. Jack Reed (re Sept. 23 and Oct. 6, 2025 Wicker–Reed letters)

[31]Sens. Roger Wicker & Jack Reed, joint letter to the Secretary of Defense (EXORDs), U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services (Sept. 23, 2025)

[32]Rosen Joins Senate Armed Services Committee Colleagues in Letter Demanding Declassification & Release of Info on Lethal Caribbean & Eastern Pacific Strikes, Office of Sen. Jacky Rosen (Nov. 24, 2025)

[33]Senator Jack Reed, Floor Speech on the September 2nd Caribbean Boat Strike, U.S. Senate (Dec. 4, 2025)

[34]Reed Statement on September 2nd Boat Strike Briefing, Office of Sen. Jack Reed (Dec. 4, 2025)

[35]National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, Pub. L. 119-60, § 1052, 139 Stat. 1043 (approved Dec. 18, 2025)

[36]Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense, memorandum, Evaluation of U.S. Southern Command Joint Targeting Cycle, Project No. D2026-DEV0PD-0091.000 (May 11, 2026) (redacted)

4.3 · A Claimed Power to Kill, Behind a Classified Opinion

The Court Rejected Two Secrecy Defenses

As of October 10, 2026, a federal judge had not decided whether the public may read the Justice Department opinion governing Trump's boat strikes. He rejected two of the administration's grounds for keeping it secret but held that presidential communications privilege initially protected it. The administration still had to give him the opinion for private review by October 14. The impeachment charge concerns the lethal policy Trump chose and the accountability his administration resisted.

Read the full chapter — all the detail, fully footnoted →

Sources

[1]Statement on the United States Airstrike on a Tren de Aragua Vessel in the Caribbean Sea, Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, DCPD202500886 (Sept. 2, 2025)

[2]Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente at a Joint Press Availability, U.S. Dept. of State, Mexico City (Sept. 3, 2025)

[4]American Civil Liberties Union v. U.S. Department of Justice, No. 25 Civ. 10189 (PAE), Opinion & Order, Document 72 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2026) (Engelmayer, J.)

[5]Rebecca Shabad & Gabe Gutierrez, 'White House confirms second Sept. 2 strike on alleged drug boat,' NBC News (Dec. 1, 2025)

[6]Natasha Bertrand, 'US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say,' CNN (Nov. 28, 2025)

[16]Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, Operation Southern Spear, April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 (Department of Defense, State and USAID Offices of Inspector General)

[19]U.S. Southern Command, Lethal Kinetic Strike, October 4, 2026, archived official press release

[25]U.S. Constitution, art. I, §8 (war power) and art. II, §4 (impeachment) — National Archives transcript

[33]Senator Jack Reed, Floor Speech on the September 2nd Caribbean Boat Strike, U.S. Senate (Dec. 4, 2025)

[37]Docket, ACLU v. Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-10189-PAE (S.D.N.Y.), entry 77 (Oct. 8, 2026), via CourtListener