News|US-Venezuela TensionsUS faces war crime allegation for ‘disguising’ aircraft in drug boat attackThe New York Times says the US allegedly painted its military aircraft like a civilian plane to conduct a September strike.
On Mon, Dec 4, 2025, a report surfaced concerning the United States military allegedly disguising an aircraft as a civilian plane to conduct an attack on a suspected drug smuggling vessel originating from Venezuela. The incident reportedly occurred as…
On Mon, Dec 4, 2025, a report surfaced concerning the United States military allegedly disguising an aircraft as a civilian plane to conduct an attack on a suspected drug smuggling vessel originating from Venezuela. The incident reportedly occurred as part of a broader boat-bombing campaign initiated by the Trump administration on Thu, Sep 2, 2025, in the southern Caribbean Sea.
The aircraft involved in the operation was reportedly painted to resemble a civilian plane, with missiles concealed within the fuselage rather than displayed under the wings. This tactic could be considered an act of "perfidy," as outlined by international law governing armed conflict. Major General Steven Lepper, a retired deputy judge advocate general for the US Air Force, was quoted as indicating that such concealment might violate legal standards by obscuring military identity.
The Trump administration has justified the boat strikes as necessary measures to prevent illicit drug trafficking from reaching the United States from South America. In a memo to Congress, President Trump described the US engagement with drug cartels as a "non-international armed conflict," designating cartels as unlawful combatants. However, this classification lacks a recognized legal basis, as drug trafficking is a criminal offense, not equivalent to an armed attack.
This tactic could be considered an act of "perfidy," as outlined by international law governing armed conflict.
International human rights experts, including those from the United Nations, have criticized the attacks as extrajudicial killings and potential violations of international law.
The report notes that after the initial attack, the US military shifted to using clearly marked military aircraft, such as MQ-9 Reaper drones, for subsequent operations. The Trump administration maintains that all military actions in the campaign are within the legal bounds of US authority, denying any illegal conduct throughout the operations.
Since the campaign's inception on September 2, at least 35 strikes have been executed in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in approximately 114 fatalities and one person presumed dead.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.