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Lawsuit filed over US strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat
Relatives of two Trinidadian men killed in a US military operation off Venezuela have taken legal action against the American government, accusing it of unlawful killings.
Background of the incident
Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo were among six individuals killed when their vessel was struck by US forces on 14 October near Venezuela's coast. The Pentagon has described its operations as targeting "narco-terrorists" linked to drug trafficking that harms Americans.
Since September, the US has conducted at least 36 such strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in over 120 deaths. Legal experts, however, question whether these actions comply with international laws governing armed conflict.
Legal action and allegations
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in Boston's federal court under the Death on the High Seas Act, which permits foreign citizens to seek damages in US courts for violations of international law. The plaintiffs-Joseph's mother and Samaroo's sister-argue that the men were civilian workers, not combatants.
"These were lawless killings in cold blood-killings for sport and theatre," one of the lawyers stated.
Sallycar Korasingh, Joseph's mother, said the US government should have arrested, charged, and detained her son if it believed he was involved in wrongdoing, rather than "murdering him."
Broader context and legal questions
The lawsuit contends that the men were not engaged in military hostilities against the US, making their deaths wrongful under international law. The Pentagon has not yet responded to requests for comment on the case.
This legal action follows a similar complaint filed by the family of a Colombian man killed in a separate US strike, which was brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
What's next
The case will proceed in US federal court, where the plaintiffs seek accountability for the deaths of Joseph and Samaroo. Legal experts say the outcome could set a precedent for how such strikes are adjudicated under international law.
