US officials say they have carried out a number of strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea, killing multiple drug traffickers.
Announcing the first of these in September, President Donald Trump said his forces had destroyed a vessel that had departed from Venezuela. He said the boat was operated by the Tren de Aragua cartel and was carrying drugs bound for the US.
Similar announcements have followed in recent weeks, accompanied with grainy footage but no evidence of the alleged drug trafficking and few details about who or what was on board each vessel.
Trump's officials say they are acting in self-defense by destroying boats carrying illicit drugs to the US but the strikes have attracted condemnation in the region.
In one case, the Colombian president said a boat hit by the US was not Venezuelan, but Colombian with Colombian citizens inside - which the White House denied.
After the first of the strikes, BBC Verify spoke to a range of experts in international and maritime law, with several saying that the US may have acted illegally in attacking the vessel.
What does international law say?
The US is not a signatory to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but the US military's legal advisors have previously said that the US should act in a manner consistent with its provisions.
Under the convention, countries agree not to interfere with vessels operating in international waters. There are limited exceptions to this which allow a state to seize a ship, such as a hot pursuit where a vessel is chased from a country's waters into the high seas.
Prof Luke Moffett of Queens University Belfast said, Force can be used to stop a boat but generally this should be non-lethal measures. He added that the use of aggressive tactics must be justified as reasonable and necessary in self-defense where there is immediate threat of serious injury or loss of life to enforcement officials. He noted that the US moves were likely unlawful under the law of the sea.
Are US strikes on alleged cartel members legal?
Experts have also questioned whether the killing of the alleged members of the Tren de Aragua cartel could contravene international law on the use of force.
Under Article 2(4) of the UN charter, countries can resort to force when under attack and deploying their military in self-defense. Trump has previously accused the Tren de Aragua cartel of conducting irregular warfare against the US, and the state department has designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
After the first strike, Prof Michael Becker of Trinity College Dublin told BBC Verify that the American action stretches the meaning of the term beyond its breaking point. He emphasized that just labeling individuals as narco-terrorists does not turn them into lawful military targets, as the US is not engaged in an armed conflict with Venezuela or the Tren de Aragua criminal organization.
Prof Moffett remarked, Labelling everyone a terrorist does not make them a lawful target and enables states to sidestep international law. A memo sent to Congress reportedly said the Trump administration had determined the US was in a non-international armed conflict with drug cartels.
Can Trump launch attacks without congressional approval?
There are also questions about whether the White House complied with US law in authorizing these strikes. The US constitution states that only Congress has the power to declare war.
However, the president’s powers, outlined in Article II, suggest that he can act as Commander in Chief of the Army, which some interpret as granting him the authority to authorize strikes against military targets.
Historical reliance on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against groups responsible for the September 11 attacks has also led to questions about its applicability to drug cartels like Tren de Aragua.
What do we know about US operations in the region?
Venezuela's government has reacted to the strikes with anger, denying any involvement in drug trafficking. The strikes coincide with the deployment of US naval warships to the region, reportedly part of anti-narcotics operations against Venezuela. Reports suggest multiple US military ships, including destroyers and assault vessels, are active in the area.
Trump has also acknowledged authorizing the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, placing a $50 million reward for information leading to Nicolás Maduro’s arrest amid ongoing tensions.
