Beginning on September 2, 2025, Donald Trump has ordered the execution of civilians on the high seas, without identifying them, charging them with a crime, attempting to capture them alive, or providing them an opportunity to surrender. These people were executed without due process or even evidence. The American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization, notes that, "The U.S. government claims the men killed were 'narco-terrorists' and members of Tren de Aragua but has provided no evidence. Interviews with victims’ families indicate that some of those killed had no ties to the drug trade."
These crimes must not be forgotten or ignored. The World Court could determine whether Trump and his Secretary of War are guilty of the murder of more than 120 people in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. It appears that, without a declaration of war, members of the United States military violated international law with these attacks, which continued long after the probable illegality of these murders was widely discussed. There are also reports that in some cases the military has disguised an attacking plane as a civilian aircraft. If true, this constitutes the crime of perfidy, and that also violates international law.
The attacks have not ceased in 2026, and this has become a systematic military program of the murder of civilians. The World Court could uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, notably Article 3, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person,” and Article 6, “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.” Bombing small boats on the high seas and slaughtering everyone on board does appear to be an intentional violation of these articles. A thorough investigation is urgently needed. Will at least one of the member states of the United Nations, each of which has standing before the World Court, answer this plea for justice? If no nation steps forward, then lawlessness triumphs.
I do not imagine that either of these men will appear in person to stand trial for murder. But if a warrant were issued for their arrest, it would send a clear signal that other nations deplore these murders and wish to live in a world governed by international law. It would repudiate these murderous acts, and would also will encourage American lawyers and courts to hold these men to account for these and any other criminal acts they may commit.
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