The U.S. government has killed at least 76 people at sea in the past two months — without trial, without confirmed identity, and without any public evidence of guilt.

These deadly missile strikes, launched from U.S. military vessels in the Eastern Pacific, are part of a new campaign targeting boats suspected of drug smuggling.

But according to administration officials, the U.S. does not know who is on board before launching these attacks.

 Instead, individuals are killed based solely on “intelligence links” to cartels or smuggling routes — not on due process, not on charges, and not on proven affiliation.

The Trump administration has now declared these people “unlawful combatants” in a newly designated “armed conflict” against drug cartels. This move allows the government to sidestep the courts entirely — executing alleged suspects by drone or missile without judicial review.

This is not justice.
This is extrajudicial killing.
And it is a dangerous precedent with no end in sight.

We call on the U.S. Congress, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Attorney General to immediately:

• Suspend all military strikes targeting unidentified individuals at sea
• Publicly release the legal justification for these killings
• Restore interdiction, arrest, and prosecution as the standard approach to suspected drug smuggling
• Ensure that no person is killed by the U.S. government without trial, evidence, or due process.

Even those accused of crimes — even those suspected of smuggling — have the right to face evidence in court. That’s the foundation of a free society. If we allow governments to kill first and explain later, we lose more than lives. We lose accountability. We lose law. We lose our moral compass.

Sign now if you believe no one should be executed by missile without trial — no matter where they are.

Photo: This screengrab taken from a video posted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shows a boat shortly before it is struck by a missile on November 9, 2025. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth