US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejects criticism of controversial strikes against alleged drug traffickers.Published On 13 Nov 202513 Nov 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareUnited States President Donald Trump’s administration has drafted a legal opinion stating that US military personnel involved in military strikes off the coast of Latin America are immune from prosecution, The Washington Post and the Reuters news agency have reported.The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel provided the White House with the opinion on the issue of criminal liability for the strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, the outlets reported on Wednesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe strikes on alleged drug traffickers have come under intense scrutiny from Democrats, legal experts and even some Republicans since they began in September.The US military has carried out at least 19 strikes on boats allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific, killing at least 76 people.The White House claims the strikes are part of “a non-international armed conflict” against “narcoterrorists” and “unlawful combatants” with ties to Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro.The Trump administration has not released evidence that the boats were carrying drugs.The administration of former US President George W Bush coined the term “unlawful combatant” to deny certain enemies of the US protections under the Geneva Convention.The term, which is not mentioned in the Convention, is controversial in international law and has been rejected by many human rights advocates and legal experts.
“The Maduro regime is a narco-terrorist regime indicted in the Southern District of the United States for narco-terrorism, but more importantly, they’re also a transshipment organization that allows these groups to operate from their national territory.” — @SecRubio pic.twitter.com/RP9sVJcbZk
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 13, 2025Washington’s actions have made even some of its closest allies uncomfortable. Advertisement On Tuesday, CNN reported that the UK had st …
