1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Congress must immediately investigate the military strikes that have killed 177 people in the eastern Pacific and hold those responsible accountable. These operations are extrajudicial killings that violate basic due process rights. The administration has provided no definitive evidence that the targeted vessels are involved in drug trafficking. The ACLU found that some victims were fishermen trying to make a living for their families. A federal lawsuit filed in January on behalf of families from Trinidad argues these killings lack any plausible legal justification. Representatives Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs have already raised alarms with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, noting that the names and nationalities of most victims remain unknown. The US Coast Guard has spent decades stopping boats and arresting suspected drug traffickers without randomly killing people. That approach respects the fundamental right to defend oneself in court. These military strikes abandon that standard entirely, targeting civilians who pose no immediate threat to the United States. Launch a full congressional investigation now, before more people are killed. Demand evidence for each strike, identify the victims, and establish clear accountability for these deaths.