Family members of two Trinidadian men, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, have filed a lawsuit against the US government for the "manifestly unlawful" killing of their loved ones in a recent boat strike. The lawsuit claims that the US military's actions were extrajudicial killings, violating international laws prohibiting such acts.
Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, were killed on October 14, along with six other civilians, in a strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. Trump had announced that the strike was carried out against a "Designated Terrorist Organization" without linking Joseph or Samaroo to any illegal activities.
The lawsuit will be brought under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, arguing that the US government's actions were unlawful and should not have been covered by its sovereign immunity. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are representing the plaintiffs.
Experts say that the strikes are a significant departure from standard practice in the US war on drugs, where law enforcement agencies arrested suspected smugglers. They argue that the military is not permitted to deliberately target civilians, even if they are suspected of wrongdoing.
The complaint notes that there was no armed conflict between the US and any country that could justify the lethal attacks. Instead, it argues that the strikes were a summary execution, violating international laws prohibiting extrajudicial killings and federal law prohibiting murder.
"This is not hyperbole," said Jonathan Hafetz, a Seton Hall Law School professor and one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. "Whatever that secret memorandum states, it cannot render the patently illegal killings lawful."
The Intercept was the first outlet to report on the US military's killing of two survivors of the initial boat attack in a follow-up strike. The two men clung to the wreckage for 45 minutes before being killed.
The US Southern Command has been unable to keep an accurate count of the attacks on boats and the number of people killed, prompting the Pentagon to begin accepting casualty claims directly. Trinidadian Foreign Minister Sean Sobers stated that there was no information linking Joseph or Samaroo to any illegal activities.
Trinidadians have expressed outrage over the killings, with Lenore Burnley, Chad Joseph's mother, stating "Chad was a loving and caring son who was always there for me, for his wife and children, and for our whole family. I miss him terribly."
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. The organization is now calling on readers to help it expand its reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026.
As the case unfolds, it remains to be seen how the US government will respond to the allegations of extrajudicial killings.
Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, were killed on October 14, along with six other civilians, in a strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. Trump had announced that the strike was carried out against a "Designated Terrorist Organization" without linking Joseph or Samaroo to any illegal activities.
The lawsuit will be brought under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, arguing that the US government's actions were unlawful and should not have been covered by its sovereign immunity. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are representing the plaintiffs.
Experts say that the strikes are a significant departure from standard practice in the US war on drugs, where law enforcement agencies arrested suspected smugglers. They argue that the military is not permitted to deliberately target civilians, even if they are suspected of wrongdoing.
The complaint notes that there was no armed conflict between the US and any country that could justify the lethal attacks. Instead, it argues that the strikes were a summary execution, violating international laws prohibiting extrajudicial killings and federal law prohibiting murder.
"This is not hyperbole," said Jonathan Hafetz, a Seton Hall Law School professor and one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. "Whatever that secret memorandum states, it cannot render the patently illegal killings lawful."
The Intercept was the first outlet to report on the US military's killing of two survivors of the initial boat attack in a follow-up strike. The two men clung to the wreckage for 45 minutes before being killed.
The US Southern Command has been unable to keep an accurate count of the attacks on boats and the number of people killed, prompting the Pentagon to begin accepting casualty claims directly. Trinidadian Foreign Minister Sean Sobers stated that there was no information linking Joseph or Samaroo to any illegal activities.
Trinidadians have expressed outrage over the killings, with Lenore Burnley, Chad Joseph's mother, stating "Chad was a loving and caring son who was always there for me, for his wife and children, and for our whole family. I miss him terribly."
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. The organization is now calling on readers to help it expand its reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026.
As the case unfolds, it remains to be seen how the US government will respond to the allegations of extrajudicial killings.
. I mean, think about it - if someone in your family got killed by a military operation without any explanation or justification, wouldn't you want to know what happened? Wouldn't you demand answers? That's exactly what these families are doing, and they're not giving up 
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. And you know what's even more powerful? Our ability to learn from each other and grow together 
. Let's make sure we keep using this case as an opportunity to spark conversations about accountability, justice, and human rights 
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. It's just not right that these two men were killed like that and no one can even say for sure what they did wrong. The fact that the military is supposed to have a memo saying it was okay but that doesn't change the fact that it was still an extrajudicial killing 
. I hope the lawsuit can help get some answers and justice for these men and their families 
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thinking about Chad Joseph's mom saying her son was a loving dad and all she misses is him 
I can only imagine how painful this must be for his family, not knowing what exactly happened or if they'll ever get justice. It's crazy that the US military could just target civilians like that, without even confirming if they were suspects or not 
The fact that there was no armed conflict to justify it makes it even more heinous. I hope the lawsuit brings some closure and accountability for the family 
. I mean, we all know how those kinds of statements are made... it's always someone who gets hurt in the crossfire. Anyway, I hope the lawsuit goes through and justice is served for Chad and Rishi's families 
This whole thing is just insane! I mean, who gives military personnel the green light to kill civilians in cold blood? It's like something out of a bad movie. And to think that Trump just threw some random names into a press release without even verifying if they were terrorists or not... 
The fact that there's no clear explanation for why these guys were targeted, and now the US military is refusing to keep track of casualties... it's like they're trying to cover something up! 
Can you imagine being in Chad Joseph's shoes? His mom just lost her son in a senseless act of violence. It's heartbreaking 
This whole thing is super messed up 
. 6 innocent civilians died and now their loved ones are trying to seek justice, which is awesome 
. It's like the government thought it was above the law, but newsflash: you're not 
. The fact that they tried to cover up what really happened with this "Designated Terrorist Organization" nonsense is just ridiculous 
. I'm glad the ACLU is representing the plaintiffs and we'll see how this case plays out in court 
. Can't believe it's 2025 and we're still dealing with stuff like this 
. anyway, this lawsuit is kinda interesting... sounds like these family members are trying to get justice for their loved ones who were killed in a pretty suspicious circumstance 
. i'm not surprised that there's no info linking chad and rishi to any illegal activities tho... it doesn't add up 
. maybe this will lead to some change in how the us handles these types of situations? 
no one is above the law, not even soldiers 
need to hold those in power accountable for these actions 
. I mean, if they're claiming the men were "Designated Terrorist Organization" suspects without linking them to any actual crimes... that's just red flag waving all over the place 
. And what's up with this lack of transparency from the US military? It's like they're trying to sweep it under the rug 
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. Let's wait and see how this case plays out before jumping to conclusions 
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. And now they're suing for "manifestly unlawful" killing? I'm not sure how that's going to play out in court, but it's definitely a wild card.
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but another part of me is worried that the US government won't take this seriously enough... and it's gonna be a long road to get to that point 
. I'm keeping an eye on this case as it unfolds, because if the US gov gets away with this, it sets a bad precedent for the future