ACLU sues for legal memo behind US boat strikes in Caribbean

Rights groups in the US are taking the Trump administration to court over its lethal campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats off Latin America, demanding to see the legal theory that officials say makes the strikes lawful.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the ACLU, NYCLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights, seeks the release of an Office of Legal Counsel opinion that reportedly frames the attacks as part of an “armed conflict” with unspecified cartels.

“The public deserves to know how our government is justifying the cold-blooded murder of civilians as lawful,” said ACLU attorney Jeffrey Stein. “The Trump administration must stop these illegal and immoral strikes, and officials who have carried them out must be held accountable.”

At least 86 people have been killed since the first strike in early September, with 22 confirmed operations so far. The administration frames the actions as counter-narcotics enforcement. Legal scholars say drug smuggling is a criminal offense, not war, making extrajudicial killings unlawful under both US and international law.

The lawsuit follows unanswered FOIA requests sent to the State Department, Pentagon and OLC.