There’s a legal storm brewing over the Trump administration’s bold moves in the Caribbean Sea that’s got civil liberties groups up in arms.
The crux of the matter is a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU Foundation, and the Center for Constitutional Rights against the Departments of Justice, State, and Defense—recently rebranded as the Department of War—demanding the release of a memo justifying U.S. military strikes on boats suspected of drug smuggling.
This all kicked off with a highly publicized strike on September 2, 2025, in the Caribbean Sea, where a vessel was hit not once, but twice, with the second missile tragically taking out the only two survivors of the initial blast.
President Trump himself shared video footage of the boat just before its destruction on Truth Social, adding fuel to an already fiery debate about the ethics and legality of such actions.
The ACLU isn’t mincing words, claiming these strikes are “in clear violation of domestic and international law,” and arguing that the military shouldn’t be playing judge, jury, and executioner over civilians merely suspected of smuggling (American Civil Liberties Union).
Let’s unpack that—while rooting out drug trafficking is a noble goal, summarily sinking boats without exploring non-lethal options feels like a sledgehammer approach when a scalpel might do.
By October 2025, the plaintiffs had filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Office of Legal Counsel, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State, seeking records related to the legal justification for these lethal operations.
So far, they’ve been met with radio silence, prompting the lawsuit to force a thorough search and immediate release of any responsive documents.
One has to wonder if this stonewalling is about protecting national security or just dodging a public relations nightmare for the administration.
Fast forward to December 2, 2025, when cabinet meetings at the White House involving President Trump, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio took place, likely discussing the fallout or strategy moving forward.
War Secretary Hegseth commented that building intelligence for the first strike took “a couple of weeks, almost a month,” hinting at the complexity behind these operations (War Secretary Pete Hegseth).
Complexity is one thing, but when lives are on the line, shouldn’t transparency be the default rather than the exception?
The Trump administration stands firm, asserting that the strikes were conducted lawfully, though they’ve yet to provide the legal memo that supposedly backs this up.
Critics argue this lack of openness undermines public trust, especially when the stakes involve civilian casualties and potential breaches of international norms.
While safeguarding our borders and tackling the drug epidemic are priorities most Americans can get behind, doing so in a way that respects due process isn’t just woke nonsense—it’s the bedrock of a free society.
