Photo Credit: The White House via The Nation
Introduction
On September 2, 2025, the United States Navy conducted a missile strike against a suspected drug trafficking vessel approximately 1000 km from the United States. Eleven people aboard the vessel were killed in the attack. On September 11th, another vessel suspected of carrying drugs was struck, this time killing three crew members. According to the US government, at the time of the attacks the vessels were in international waters and were not displaying a flag or other registry information. Reportedly, US forces made no attempts to stop, board or search the vessels. The US government alleges that the vessels were operated by the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua criminal organization, a “designated narco-terrorist organization” and claimed the strike was part of a broader campaign against drug cartels.
The strikes have generated considerable international controversy (See Just Security and The Conversation). This analysis examines the incidents through the lens of relevant international legal frameworks, including the law of the sea, international humanitarian law, human rights law, and customary international law governing the use of force. The central question is whether the United States possesses legal authority to conduct lethal military strikes against stateless vessels engaged in suspected criminal activity in international waters.