On September 2, 2025, a U.S. military strike—ordered directly by President Donald Trump—sank a Venezuelan vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people accused of drug smuggling.

No trial. No public evidence. No due process.

Just an explosion and a warning: “BEWARE,” Trump posted afterward.

This is not justice. It’s execution without trial.

Vice President JD Vance publicly praised the killings as “the highest and best use of our military.” When criticized for celebrating what some experts have called a possible war crime, Vance responded, “I don’t give a s— what you call it.” That’s not leadership. That’s reckless disregard for the rule of law.

Even Senator Rand Paul, a member of Trump’s own party, condemned the administration’s actions, calling it “despicable” to glorify killing people without trial.

We agree.

We, the undersigned, demand:

• A full congressional investigation into the September 2 strike, including the intelligence used to justify it
• A public accounting from the Pentagon of how decisions like this are made and who has the authority to approve them
• A reaffirmation from elected officials that no president—Republican or Democrat—can unilaterally decide who lives or dies without due process.

The U.S. military has long had the capability to intercept, arrest, and prosecute suspected smugglers at sea. But this strike chose death over justice—and now the world is watching.

The rule of law matters. Civilian lives matter. If we abandon due process in the name of “toughness,” we lose what we claim to stand for.