The vessel was reportedly attacked multiple times before sinking, according to various officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Photo: Truth Social, via Reuters.
Guacamaya, September 10, 2025. A report by The New York Times revealed that the vessel linked to drug trafficking—attacked last week by U.S. military forces—had changed course in what appeared to be a retreat. The account, based on comments from officials familiar with the case, casts doubt on the “self-defense” argument presented by Trump to Congress.
The strike, which resulted in the death of 11 individuals labeled by the U.S. government as drug traffickers and terrorists, reportedly occurred despite a shift in the vessel’s trajectory after spotting the military aircraft pursuing it. If confirmed, the change in direction could suggest the vessel was evacuating or attempting to avoid confrontation.
Legal debate and criticism over the justification of the attack emerged swiftly, especially given the surprising departure from conventional drug interdiction strategies. Experts have questioned the legality of deploying the military—instead of police forces—to target and kill suspected traffickers as if they were wartime combatants.
“If someone is retreating, then where is the ‘imminent threat’? (…) Where is the ‘self-defense’? They’ve vanished, if they ever existed—which I don’t believe they did,” said Rear Admiral Donald Guter, who served as the Navy’s top legal officer from 2000 to 2002, as quoted by The New York Times.
Rear Admiral James McPherson, the Navy’s chief legal officer from 2004 to 2006 and later Army General Counsel during Trump’s first term, agreed. “I’d be interested to know if they could present any legal basis for what they did,” he said, also dismissing the “threat” argument if the vessel had indeed turned around.
Although the White House has not provided a detailed legal explanation, it maintains that the use of lethal military force is justified under the laws of armed conflict, arguing that drugs pose an “immediate threat.” With 100,000 overdose deaths annually in the U.S., this rationale has been used to support the military escalation and the latest “precision strike.”
Another unresolved question raised by the report concerns the vessel’s destination. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially told reporters last week that it was likely headed to Trinidad and Tobago or another Caribbean country, other government officials have since described it as en route to the United States.
The episode unfolds amid a broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, involving destroyers, warplanes, and thousands of troops under the banner of the war on drugs. The vessel’s apparent retreat or course change complicates Washington’s justification and adds to mounting tensions between Washington and Caracas, as well as regional concern.
