US to Face Lawsuit Over Mysterious Drone Strikes on Trinidadian Boat
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that two Trinidadian men were unlawfully killed in one of 36 drone strikes on vessels accused of trafficking drugs. The lawsuit claims that Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, posed no specific threat to US interests but were nonetheless targeted and killed by drones.
The two men were traveling from Venezuela back home when their boat was struck without warning. According to the complaint filed in a Massachusetts court, they had done nothing wrong except return home safely after visiting their country of origin. The Pentagon has described the incident as a legitimate anti-narcotics operation but the lawsuit disputes this claim.
The families of Joseph and Samaroo are suing for wrongful death and extrajudicial killing, invoking US law on high seas deaths and international laws that protect civilians from arbitrary state actions. They seek an undisclosed amount in compensation for their loss.
Critics of the Trump administration's counter-narcotics operations say these incidents raise serious questions about civilian safety and accountability.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that two Trinidadian men were unlawfully killed in one of 36 drone strikes on vessels accused of trafficking drugs. The lawsuit claims that Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, posed no specific threat to US interests but were nonetheless targeted and killed by drones.
The two men were traveling from Venezuela back home when their boat was struck without warning. According to the complaint filed in a Massachusetts court, they had done nothing wrong except return home safely after visiting their country of origin. The Pentagon has described the incident as a legitimate anti-narcotics operation but the lawsuit disputes this claim.
The families of Joseph and Samaroo are suing for wrongful death and extrajudicial killing, invoking US law on high seas deaths and international laws that protect civilians from arbitrary state actions. They seek an undisclosed amount in compensation for their loss.
Critics of the Trump administration's counter-narcotics operations say these incidents raise serious questions about civilian safety and accountability.
, the US government thinking it can just drop a drone on some Trinidadian boat without even so much as a warning? I mean, come on, how do you even justify that? The fact that they were just traveling home from Venezuela, no signs of trafficking or anything suspicious, and still get taken out by a robot drone 
... it's like something out of a bad sci-fi movie. And now the families are suing for wrongful death and compensation - who can blame them? This is just another example of how far removed and out of touch our politicians can be from actual human lives.
US is always talking about being a great country but they can't even handle simple drone strikes 
like 2 dudes just chillin on their boat doing nothing wrong? 
and now the ACLU is like "hold up, nope you can't just kill ppl without a trial" 
justice for Chad & Rishi's fam 
. those 2 trinidadian guys did nothin wrong but return home to their fams & friends. like, what's the point of being a global superpower if u can't even protect ur own citizens or respect foreign lives? 
. we need more transparency & accountability, especially when it comes 2 actions taken on international waters 
Like, what are we even talking about here? These two guys were just trying to get home after visiting their country, and suddenly BAM! Drone strike. No warning, no nothing. It's like, hello, civilian safety, what's up with that?! 
It's like, we need to start holding these people accountable for their actions. The Pentagon is saying it was an anti-narcotics operation, but come on, that doesn't make it any better. We need more transparency and less drone strikes without a second thought. 
this is so sad, a couple of innocent people just trying to get back home after visiting their country of origin... they didn't even do anything wrong, just peaceful travelers 
. 36 drone strikes on vessels, that's way too many, what's the real story here? 
. The families deserve answers and justice for their loss. This whole thing stinks of poor planning and accountability 
. We need better ways to tackle the good guys vs bad guys thing without putting innocent lives at risk 
That's some messed up stuff right there... Interesting 
. We need some real accountability from our leaders over this kind of thing! 
. And now these families are left to pick up the pieces, seeking compensation for their loss... it's just not right 
. The fact that the US government isn't being more transparent about this is even worse... 
Can't believe what's happening here! US is being sued over drone strikes on a boat with innocent people on board 
These families deserve justice, and I hope they get it 