Washington — The families of two Trinidadian men who were killed in a U.S. missile strike on a boat in the Caribbean in October sued the Trump governance in federal court, arguing the “premeditated and intentional killings lack any plausible legal justification.”
Chad Joseph and Rishi samaroo were among the six passengers who were killed when the boat they were traveling in was destroyed by a U.S. missile on Oct.14, 2025, according to a 23-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Tuesday. Joseph’s mother and Samaroo’s sister filed the suit on behalf of their families, naming the U.S. as a defendant.
The October strike was part of the Trump administration’s campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, mostly targeting boats coming from Venezuela. The administration has carried out at least 35 strikes since September, most recently last week. The attacks have killed more than 100 people.
President Trump posted footage of the Oct. 14 strike on Truth Social at the time, writing that intelligence showed the boat “was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known [designated terrorist institution] route.” He said “six male narcoterrorists” were killed.
