A coalition of 108 U.S. civil rights and advocacy organizations has demanded a congressional investigation into a series of lethal maritime assaults authorized by the Trump administration in the Caribbean between September and October 2025.

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In a letter sent to leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, the groups denounce unlawful extrajudicial killings carried out under the guise of anti-narcotics operations.

The letter cites five separate U.S. military strikes on small vessels. The first incident, on September 2, left 11 people dead after a U.S. warship repeatedly rammed a boat .

Subsequent strikes on September 15, 16, October 3, and October 14 killed 13 more people in total. None of the victims have been publicly identified, and U.S. officials have not provided evidence proving they were combatants.

President Trump later bragged about the operation, stating that three boats had been destroyed rather than two.

The organizations argue that the administration violated both U.S. constitutional limits and international law, noting there is no proof the targeted vessels posed any threat or were armed. They criticize the White House for bypassing standard interdiction and arrest procedures in favor of lethal force, and for deploying naval assets to the Caribbean without congressional approval.

Administration officials have defended the killings as part of a broader campaign against “narcoterrorists,” but have failed to present any legal justification or strategy. Secretary Rubio vowed during recent trips to Mexico and Ecuador that the U.S. would keep hunting suspects and using force.

The letter also links these foreign actions to rising domestic militarization, pointing to National Guard and military deployments in major U.S. cities to police protests and crime. Critics warn this reflects a dangerous expansion of executive power and military involvement in civilian affairs.

The signatories argue that these Caribbean strikes are part of a failed escalation of the War on Drugs, which has funneled trillions into militarized enforcement while fueling violence and human rights abuses. Despite harsher drug policies, U.S. overdose deaths surged 60% between 2018 and 2022, driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Meanwhile, funding for addiction treatment and public health has been slashed.

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