US troops granted legal immunity over deadly Caribbean strikes: WashPo
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A Justice Dept. memo reportedly shields US troops from prosecution over deadly strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, despite internal legal concerns.
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The moment the US airstrike targeted a boat in the Caribbean in a video released on November 7, 2025 (Pete Hegseth on X)
The US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a classified opinion in July stating that American military personnel involved in strikes against vessels in the Caribbean would not face future prosecution, according to a report by The Washington Post published Wednesday.
The memo, citing legal justifications under both US and international law, aimed to clarify accountability for troops participating in alleged high-risk counternarcotics missions.
The legal opinion was reportedly requested after senior government lawyers voiced concerns about the legality of the operations. Admiral Alvin Holsey, then-head of US Southern Command, along with other high-ranking officers, reportedly urged caution, warning of possible legal and political fallout.
Sources cited by The Washington Post claim Holsey insisted on a thorough review of any such strike proposals before they reached President Donald Trump. Holsey resigned unexpectedly in October, a year after his appointment, which the report links to his reservations over these operations.
Pentagon intensifies operations in Caribbean region
Despite the concerns, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told The Washington Post that “current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law,” and are in “complete compliance with the law of armed conflict.”
In recent months, the Pentagon has increased the deployment of naval, air, and land assets across the Caribbean as part of what Washington claimed is a joint counternarcotics and counterterrorism campaign. Officials claim these actions are meant to disrupt the movement of illicit narcotics and deter criminal networks operating in the region.
The so-called 'war on drugs'
US-Venezuela tensions in the Caribbean have escalated sharply as the United States increases its military presence in the region, prompting Caracas to prepare multiple defense scenarios and accuse Washington of hostile intent.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López has stated that the influx of US destroyers, surveillance aircraft, and special forces in the Caribbean signals a broader strategy of coercion and territorial pressure, not anti-narcotics operations as the US claims.
Venezuela says these maneuvers are killings and blockades without legal justification, while pointing out that international concern is rising over the excessive and illegal use of force. This is echoed by President Nicolás Maduro, who asserts that US actions in the Caribbean are part of an ongoing campaign to effect regime change in Venezuela and seize the country’s vast oil reserves, warning that the military buildup poses a risk not only to Venezuela but to the entire Caribbean and Latin American region.​
Read more: Maduro activates national defense command
