Families of killed men file first U.S. federal lawsuit over drug boat strikes

President Trump speaks as U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looks on during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House in December 2025.

The case filed in Massachusetts is the first lawsuit over the strikes to land in a U.S. federal court since the Trump administration launched a campaign to target vessels off the coast of Venezuela.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)