Families of Trinidadians Sue US Over Fatal Missile Strike
“The October 14 attack was part of an unprecedented and manifestly unlawful US military campaign of lethal strikes against small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint, filed by Lenore Burnley and Sallycar Korasingh on behalf of their relatives Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, said the two were among six people killed when the U.S. “authorized and launched a missile strike” against their vessel on Oct. 14, 2025.
According to the court filing, Washington has carried out 36 armed strikes against boats in international waters since September, reportedly killing around 125 people. The plaintiffs argue these strikes occurred without congressional authorization, noting that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “publicized videos of the boat strikes, boasting about and celebrating their own role in killing defenseless people.”
The lawsuit claims these attacks constitute “premeditated and intentional killings” that lack any legal justification. It further asserts that “there is no actual armed conflict that could justify the use of lethal military force against the boats,” and that even if such a conflict existed, the strikes would remain illegal under international law.
Filed under the Death on the High Seas Act, the Alien Tort Statute, and general admiralty law, the suit seeks to hold the U.S. government accountable, with sovereign immunity waived under the Suits in Admiralty Act.
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