US Department of Defense Launches Internal Probe Into Airstrikes on Suspected Drug Boats

The U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DoD OIG) has officially opened an investigation into U.S. military airstrikes targeting boats suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. According to a memorandum, the probe will focus on whether military commanders adhered to the standard six-step process before approving and executing lethal strikes.

The investigation covers operations overseen by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the U.S. military command responsible for activities in the region, headquartered in Doral, Florida. The Pentagon declined to comment, and SOUTHCOM did not respond to requests for comment.

Operation "Southern Spear" — a military campaign targeting boats in the Caribbean — has sparked outrage and allegations of violations of international law. The Trump administration labeled it as an effort to combat drug traffickers from Latin America. To date, the U.S. military has conducted at least 58 attacks, resulting in 193 deaths, including 13 people missing and presumed dead, according to data from the legal journal Just Security.

The Trump administration maintained that the campaign was "fully legal." In November last year, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated: "Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. law and international law, with all actions fully in compliance with the law of armed conflict."

However, numerous human rights organizations, watchdog groups, and international bodies, including a U.N. human rights expert panel, have called these attacks extrajudicial executions and violations of both U.S. and international law. A joint investigation published earlier this month by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Latin America identified 13 of the victims, showing they came from some of the region's poorest communities, with no clear ties to organized drug networks. The report described them as day laborers who took jobs on boats out of desperation, rather than key figures in drug trafficking.

Center director María Teresa Ronderos said: "The U.S. has not killed any Pablo Escobar or El Chapo. The attacks are effectively targeting young people living in precarious conditions." Families of some victims have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government, alleging the strikes were illegal.

Efforts by Democrats in Congress to rein in the lethal campaign have failed. In October, a resolution by Senators Adam Schiff (California) and Tim Kaine (Virginia) to prevent the administration from launching further attacks without congressional approval was defeated in the Senate 51-48. The Republican-controlled Senate twice rejected resolutions limiting the administration's authority to continue military action.

In December last year, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (Republican, Mississippi) said his panel found "no evidence of war crimes" after reviewing the attacks. In March, two Democratic House members, Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs, wrote in support of an investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights into the legality of the strikes.

International reaction has been sharp. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated at a G7 meeting in November last year that the strikes violated international law and risked destabilizing the region. Colombian President Gustavo Petro spoke at the U.N. General Assembly in September, calling for criminal proceedings against Donald Trump related to the campaign.

The DoD Inspector General's office will conduct the review at the Pentagon and at SOUTHCOM headquarters. Senior officials have been asked to designate a point of contact within five days. The reason for triggering the investigation has not been disclosed, and no timeline for releasing findings has been set.