Day: September 9, 2025

Last week, the United States carried out an unprecedented strike against a vessel suspected of narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, destroying the vessel and reportedly killing 11 people on board. This action raises highly concerning questions about the process followed within the U.S. government: how and by whom it was the strike authorized?  Why was it carried out by U.S. armed forces? And what kind of accountability or pushback might we see from Congress, in courts, or within the government itself?

Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane join Tess Bridgeman to unpack the attack, the limited justifications the administration has put forward to date, and what to expect from here.

Show Notes: 

• Legal Issues Raised by Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean by Brian Finucane
• Labels, Not Law, to Justify Lethal Force: Venezuela Boat Strike by Mark Nevitt

The post The Just Security Podcast: Troubled Legal Waters – What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel appeared first on Just Security.