Families sue US over deadly boat strike off Venezuela coast

January 27, 2026

Families of two Trinidadian men killed during a U.S. military strike on a boat off Venezuela's coast have initiated legal action against the American government in Boston federal court. The men, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, were among six people killed in October during operations the Trump administration describes as targeting drug traffickers, though the families claim they were fishermen returning home. Since September, U.S. forces have attacked at least 36 vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in over 120 deaths, raising concerns from legal experts about potential violations of international conflict laws.

Who is affected

Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo (deceased Trinidadian men)
Four other men killed in the same strike
Sallycar Korasingh (Joseph's mother) and Samaroo's sister (the plaintiffs)
More than 120 people killed in U.S. strikes since September
The families of a Colombian man killed in a separate strike
The U.S. government (defendant)

What action is being taken

Families are filing a lawsuit in Boston's federal court
The Trump administration is conducting strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, targeting alleged drug traffickers
The family of a Colombian victim is taking their case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Why it matters

This case challenges the legal framework under which the U.S. is conducting military operations against alleged drug traffickers, with legal experts questioning whether these strikes violate international laws governing armed conflict. The lawsuit raises fundamental questions about due process and the use of lethal force against civilians who may not be engaged in hostilities, potentially setting precedent for how maritime interdiction operations are conducted and whether families can seek accountability for deaths resulting from such operations.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC