International Criminal Liability and U.S. Boat Attacks in the Pacific and Caribbean

Even after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured, U.S. nationals may still be prosecuted under international law for the country’s previous attacks against suspected drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, including those that happened as recently as Dec. 31, 2025.

Here’s why: Confining these attacks to the high seas does not necessarily overrule the assertion of jurisdiction by the International Criminal Court, which explicitly recognizes that its territorial jurisdiction extends to crimes committed onboard a vessel or aircraft registered to countries that are members of the Court. Thus, war crimes or crimes against humanity, if committed on a vessel registered The post International Criminal Liability and U.S. Boat Attacks in the Pacific and Caribbean appeared first