Families Of Two Trinidadian Men Killed In U.S. Boat Strike Sue Trump Administration

The families of two Trinidadian men who were killed in a U.S. missile strike on a boat near Venezuela have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Trump administration, questioning the legality of the attack.

The case was filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by the mother of Chad Joseph and the sister of Rishi Samaroo.

The two men were among six people killed on 14 October 2025 when a boat travelling from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago was hit during a U.S. operation targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels.

According to the lawsuit, Joseph and Samaroo were civilians who had been fishing and working on farms in Venezuela and were returning to their homes in Las Cuevas, a fishing village in Trinidad.

The complaint states that neither man was involved in drug trafficking or linked to any armed group.

The lawsuit is believed to be the first wrongful death case linked to the U.S. maritime strike campaign launched under President Donald Trump.

Since September, the U.S. military has carried out at least 36 missile strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. military has confirmed that at least 116 people were killed in these attacks, with another 10 presumed dead after being lost at sea, bringing the total death toll to at least 126.

The families are seeking financial compensation from the U.S. government under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute.

While the lawsuit does not ask the court to immediately stop further strikes, it could allow a judge to review whether the October 14 attack complied with U.S. and international law.

On Dec. 22, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting… pic.twitter.com/LGzEaQSTiR

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 23, 2025

The complaint argues that the strike took place outside an armed conflict and without authorisation from the U.S. Congress. It states that international law allows the use of lethal force only in limited circumstances and that arrest or detention should have been considered instead.

Chad Joseph was 26 years old and had a wife and three children. The lawsuit says he contacted his wife two days before the strike to say he had found a way to return home. His family did not hear from him again.

Rishi Samaroo, aged 41, had previously served a prison sentence between 2009 and 2024 for his role in a homicide. However, the lawsuit states that in 2025 he was working on a farm in Venezuela and had informed his family shortly before the strike that he was returning to Trinidad.

The lawsuit also refers to statements by the Trinidad and Tobago government, which said it had no information linking either man to illegal activities or showing that victims of the U.S. strikes were carrying drugs or weapons.

The Trump administration has defended the boat strikes as part of its efforts to stop drug smuggling.

The White House has said the October 14 strike targeted individuals believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking and linked to criminal networks.

President Trump had shared footage of the strike on social media at the time, stating that intelligence indicated the boat was involved in drug trafficking.

The strikes have faced criticism from human rights groups and members of the U.S. Congress. Legal experts have also questioned whether drug cartels qualify as armed groups under international law.

References: Reuters, AP News