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Trump Administration Sued Over "Murder," "War Crimes"
(MENAFN) Relatives of two Trinidadian citizens killed in a US missile attack on a civilian vessel departing Venezuela launched legal action Tuesday, accusing the Trump administration of "murder" and "war crimes" while seeking financial damages for what they characterized as unlawful executions.
"The October 14 attack was part of an unprecedented and manifestly unlawful US military campaign of lethal strikes against small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean," the lawsuit states.
Lenore Burnley and Sallycar Korasingh submitted the legal complaint representing deceased family members Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, two of six fatalities when the US "authorized and launched a missile strike" against their vessel on Oct. 14, 2025.
Washington has executed 36 armed assaults on vessels in international maritime zones since September, resulting in approximately 125 deaths, court documents allege.
The military operations occurred not "pursuant to any congressional authorization," plaintiffs contend, highlighting that US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have "publicized videos of the boat strikes, boasting about and celebrating their own role in killing defenseless people."
The legal filing maintains these "premeditated and intentional killings lack any plausible legal justification."
Attorneys argue "there is no actual armed conflict that could justify the use of lethal military force against the boats," and even if there were, "these airstrikes would still be illegal" under established law.
The case was submitted under the Death on the High Seas Act, Alien Tort Statute and general admiralty law, with sovereign immunity waived under the Suits in Admiralty Act.
Burnley, Joseph's mother, and Korasingh, Samaroo's sister, seek "pecuniary, compensatory and punitive damages" and demand "accountability for US officials' brazen acts."
The US has escalated Caribbean and Eastern Pacific military deployments since September, publicly justifying operations as counter-narcotics enforcement.
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