Frank Rondel
The aircraft involved in the September 2, 2025, strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean was part of a fleet of planes intentionally painted to resemble civilian aircraft, sources familiar with the matter told Baltimore Chronicle, via The New York Times. This revelation raises new questions about the legality of the operation, which resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals, including two who initially survived the attack.
According to two people familiar with the situation, these planes are normally reserved for surveillance missions but were employed in this instance to carry out a lethal strike against vessels reportedly transporting illegal narcotics. President Donald Trump publicly announced the strike on his social media platform, stating that he had ordered U.S. military forces to conduct “a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) expressed concerns over the operation’s legality following a classified briefing on military activities, noting that pretending to be a civilian in combat could violate international laws of armed conflict, which grant special protections to non-combatants. Although there is debate over what constitutes “perfidy” under international law, actions such as feigning surrender or pretending to be a non-combatant are widely recognized as potential war crimes.
A third source confirmed the plane involved was registered to the U.S. Air Force and actively transmitted identification signals that identified it as a military aircraft. The White House has not responded to requests for comment regarding these revelations.
Defense Department Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson emphasized that the U.S. military employs a broad spectrum of aircraft for different mission requirements, including planes designed to look like civilian models. He noted that every aircraft undergoes rigorous legal and procedural review to ensure compliance with domestic laws, departmental policies, and international standards, including the laws of armed conflict.
Further details revealed that the munitions used in the strike were stored inside the plane rather than mounted externally, making the aircraft’s purpose less detectable and limiting opportunities for the targeted individuals to surrender. It remains unclear whether the plane’s civilian appearance was a factor in its selection for the mission or whether it happened to be conducting surveillance when the suspected drug boat was identified.
Republican lawmakers downplayed concerns about the camouflage. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) stated that such aircraft disguises are a routine practice within the military.
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