{"id":1901,"date":"2026-05-19T16:41:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/19\/defense-department-watchdog-opens-inquiry-into-us-airstrikes-on-alleged-drug-boats\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T16:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:41:18","slug":"defense-department-watchdog-opens-inquiry-into-us-airstrikes-on-alleged-drug-boats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=1901","title":{"rendered":"Defense department watchdog opens inquiry into US airstrikes on alleged drug boats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"5197290c-7135-4dba-a118-3383abcfa946\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A woman lights a candle at an alter with pictures of a young man.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8da35984d572ab77fa6f76bd55ed5e17985c613e\/0_0_5500_3666\/master\/5500.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"309.94363636363636\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Lynette Burnley mourns her nephew Chad Joseph, who family members say was killed in a US airstrike, in Trinidad and Tobago on 22 October 2025.<\/span> Photograph: Andrea de Silva\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"5197290c-7135-4dba-a118-3383abcfa946\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Lynette Burnley mourns her nephew Chad Joseph, who family members say was killed in a US airstrike, in Trinidad and Tobago on 22 October 2025.<\/span> Photograph: Andrea de Silva\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Defense department watchdog opens inquiry into US airstrikes on alleged drug boats<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Officials will determine if standard process was followed before lethal strikes in Caribbean and eastern Pacific<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2026\/feb\/17\/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Pentagon\u2019s internal watchdog has opened an investigation into whether US military commanders followed proper procedures when conducting boat strikes in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/caribbean\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Caribbean<\/a> and the eastern Pacific.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The office of inspector general at the Department of Defense is examining whether military commanders stuck to the standard six-step process the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-military\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">US military<\/a> is required to follow before approving and carrying out lethal strikes, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2026\/May\/14\/2003930421\/-1\/-1\/1\/D2026-DEV0PD-0091.000_REDACTED.PDF\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">memo<\/a> initiating the review.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The review covers operations run by US Southern Command, which oversees American military activity across the region and is based in Doral, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/florida\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Pentagon declined to comment. Southern Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"13a616e9-53b0-4caf-94d6-4d6a615da3c3\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-4 | 4\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/15\/us-military-airstrikes-caribbean-pacific-victim-identities\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">13 men killed by US military boat strikes identified: \u2018These were flesh-and-blood people\u2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Operation Southern Spear, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-military\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">US military<\/a> campaign to strike boats in the Caribbean Sea, has sparked mass outrage and allegations that the US has violated international law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Trump administration has described the operation as an effort to fight \u201cnarco-traffickers\u201d from Latin America on their way to the US. The US has since conducted at least 58 attacks, according to a tracker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justsecurity.org\/124002\/timeline-vessel-strikes-related-actions\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">from the law journal Just Security<\/a>, killing 193 people, including 13 missing and presumed dead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The administration has also insisted the operation is \u201con firm legal ground\u201d. In November Sean Parnell, then chief spokesperson at the Pentagon, said: \u201cOur current operations in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/caribbean\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Caribbean<\/a> are lawful under both US and international law, with all actions in complete compliance with the law of armed conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The inspector general\u2019s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what prompted the investigation, and when it would publish the findings, on Tuesday. The office <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-05-18\/pentagon-watchdog-will-probe-us-attacks-on-boats-in-the-caribbean\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">did tell Bloomberg News<\/a> that the inquiry was self-initiated, and did not come from a congressional request.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Human rights groups, watchdogs and international bodies, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/press-releases\/2025\/10\/un-experts-condemn-coercive-intervention-venezuela-united-states\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">panel of human rights experts<\/a> with the United Nations, have said the strikes amount to extrajudicial executions and are a violation to US and international law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elclip.org\/los-bombardeados-sin-derecho-a-la-defensa\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">joint investigation<\/a> published this month by journalists led by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism identified 13 of those killed, finding they came from extremely poor communities across the region, with little or no apparent connection to organized drug networks. The reporting described the victims as day laborers who took work on the boats out of desperation, not as figures with any meaningful role in the drug trade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe US is not taking down any Pablo Escobar or El Chapo,\u201d said Mar\u00eda Teresa Ronderos, the center\u2019s director, adding that the strikes were actually hitting young people living in precarious conditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Families of some of those killed in strikes have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/01\/27\/politics\/lawsuit-us-military-boat-strikes-caribbean\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">filed lawsuits<\/a> against the US government, alleging the attacks were unlawful.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Democrats have repeatedly tried and failed to rein in the deadly operation through Congress. Senators Adam Schiff of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia sponsored a resolution to prevent the administration from launching further strikes without congressional approval, which failed in the Senate 51\u201348 in October. The Republican-controlled Senate twice rejected resolutions that would have limited the administration\u2019s authority to continue military action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In December, the Senate armed services chair, Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, said that his committee found \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/12\/18\/congress\/no-evidence-of-war-crimes-in-boat-strike-senate-armed-services-chair-concludes-00698478\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">no evidence of war crimes<\/a>\u201d after doing its own examination of the strikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In March, the Democratic representatives Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs followed up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/documents\/rep-castro-rep-jacobs-congressional-letter-to-iachr-urging-for-oversight-on-u-s-boat-strikes\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">write a letter<\/a> in support of an inter-American human rights investigation into whether the strikes were legal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The French foreign minister, Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, said at a G7 meeting in November that the strikes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/french-foreign-minister-says-us-military-operations-caribbean-violate-2025-11-11\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">violated international law<\/a> and risked destabilizing the region. The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, addressed the UN general assembly in September to <a href=\"https:\/\/media.un.org\/unifeed\/en\/asset\/d345\/d3451303\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">call for a criminal process<\/a> to be opened against Donald Trump over the strikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The inspector general\u2019s office will carry out its review at the Pentagon and at Southern Command headquarters, and has asked senior officials to designate points of contact within five days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-military\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US military<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/caribbean\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Caribbean<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/americas\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Americas<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Defense%20department%20watchdog%20opens%20inquiry%20into%20US%20airstrikes%20on%20alleged%20drug%20boats&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/defense-department-inquiry-airstrikes-alleged-drug-boats?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F19%2Fdefense-department-inquiry-airstrikes-alleged-drug-boats&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/defense-department-inquiry-airstrikes-alleged-drug-boats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lynette Burnley mourns her nephew Chad Joseph, who family members say was killed in a US airstrike, in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}