Judge Challenges Trump Administration Secrecy on Lethal Boat Strikes

The ruling stems from a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights. While the administration argued the document was protected by confidential deliberations, Judge Engelmayer noted that the Department of Defense and US Southern Command have effectively adopted the memo as their working law. During 70 separate strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, officials labeled victims as narco-terrorists, though critics and family members have disputed these claims, identifying some victims as fishermen with no ties to drug trafficking.

Jeffrey Stein, an attorney with the ACLU’s National Security Project, hailed the decision as a critical check against the government’s use of secret law to authorize extrajudicial killings. The court has ordered the administration to submit the memo for review by October 14, alongside evidence detailing who has accessed the document and how it influenced operational strikes. The case highlights broader concerns regarding the legality of the administration’s anti-cartel operations, especially after the President publicly suggested that bypassing the court system is a preferred method for addressing suspected drug crimes.