Family members of victims from the Southern Lance Operation attacks in the Caribbean have filed a lawsuit against the lethal military campaign that culminated in the sinking of a civilian vessel on October 14, 2025, resulting in the deaths of Trinitarian citizens Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo.
The plaintiffs assert that this attack was a premeditated murder ordered from the highest levels of government and carried out by military officials following a chain of command. They seek a court ruling for compensatory and punitive damages, pursuing justice for acts that are described as a blatant violation of fundamental human principles.
The day after the lawsuit was filed, the judge assigned to the case, Paul G. Levenson, voluntarily withdrew from the case, citing relevant legal regulations regarding judicial impartiality. The reasons behind the judge’s decision remain unknown.
The Lawsuit Against the Southern Lance Military Operation
On January 27, 2026, Lenore Burnley, mother of Chad Joseph, and Sallycar Korasingh, sister of Rishi Samaroo, filed a legal action against the Southern Lance military operation carried out by the United States in the Caribbean, labeling it as lethal due to the sinking of a civilian vessel on October 14, 2025.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts states that this legal action responds to the unprecedented military campaign of missile attacks against small vessels in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, authorized by the Trump administration.
It reports that on October 14, 2025, a missile attack by U.S. forces destroyed a vessel traveling from Venezuela to Trinidad, killing six people, including Trinitarian citizens Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo.
This attack is framed within operations that began on September 2, 2025, during which the U.S. conducted 36 attacks on vessels in international waters, resulting in an estimated 125 deaths. The attacks are alleged to have occurred without authorization from the United States Congress.
The U.S. government justifies the attacks by claiming the existence of a non-international armed conflict against drug cartels, based on a secret memorandum from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). The plaintiffs argue that no such conflict exists and that the attacks amount to extrajudicial killings and war crimes.
The victims’ families seek accountability and financial damages, both compensatory and punitive, under the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) and the Alien Tort Statute (ATS).
The Military Campaign and the Incident on October 14
The lawsuit indicates that the military campaign, known as Operation “Southern Lance,” consisted of unilateral lethal attacks against small boats, and notes that high-ranking officials, including President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, published videos of these attacks on social media, celebrating the use of kinetic force against targets described as minimal defenses.
The attack that led to this legal action occurred in international waters off the coast of Venezuela on October 14, 2025, as evidenced by a 33-second video released by President Trump, showcasing a small, completely stationary vessel in low-light conditions. It clarifies that the boat emitted no light nor displayed any movement prior to being struck by ammunition and engulfed in flames.
The identified victims of this incident were Chad Joseph (26 years old) and Rishi Samaroo (41 years old). Both were residents of Las Cuevas, Trinidad, working in farms and fishing in Venezuela. They were returning home when intercepted.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Minister, Sean Sobers, confirmed that the coordinates of the attack place the incident outside the territorial waters of their country.
VictimAgeFamily and Professional BackgroundLast CommunicationChad Joseph26Resident of Las Cuevas. Father of three minors; financial supporter and parental guide. October 12: Called his wife to inform her he would return by boat in a couple of days.Rishi Samaroo41Former construction worker and fisherman. Financially supported his elderly parents and two of his three children. October 12: Informed his sister he was returning to Trinidad to care for his ill mother. Sent a photo wearing a life jacket.
Lenore Burnley — Chad Joseph’s mother — and Sallycar Korasingh — Rishi Samaroo’s sister — act on behalf of the heirs. They allege total loss of financial support, as well as the instruction, guidance, and moral training provided by the deceased to their children and dependents.
U.S. Government Allegations
The U.S. government argues that the attacks are legal under the laws of war, referring to a secret OLC memorandum that defines the situation as a non-international armed conflict (NIAC) against unspecified drug cartels.
The lawsuit refutes that the U.S. government has identified which cartels the victims belonged to or presented evidence that the vessels were transporting drugs destined for the U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is alleged to have claimed that the supposed drugs were headed for Europe, not the U.S. Furthermore, the White House Chief of Staff admitted in December 2025 that the intention was to pressure Nicolás Maduro to resign, not to combat drug trafficking.
The lawsuit contends that the criteria for a NIAC according to the 1949 Geneva Conventions are not met:
Lack of Prolonged Armed Violence: drug trafficking or criminal organizations do not constitute an “organized armed group” possessing military capacity comparable to state forces under International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Human Rights Framework: in the absence of an actual armed conflict, international human rights law prevails, prohibiting the use of lethal force unless it is a last resort against an imminent threat of death or serious injury.
Legal Grounds of the Lawsuit
The plaintiffs invoke several federal laws and international norms to establish the responsibility of the United States:
Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA), 46 U.S.C. § 30301: states that when death is caused by an unlawful act at sea (beyond 3 nautical miles), personal representatives may sue for damages.
Alien Tort Statute (ATS), 28 U.S.C. § 1350: allows foreign citizens to sue in federal courts for grievances committed in violation of international law. The prohibition of extrajudicial killings is a universal and obligatory norm.
Suits in Admiralty Act (SIAA), 46 U.S.C. § 30903: waives the sovereign immunity of the United States in cases of maritime law and admiralty.
Violations of the Geneva Conventions: the lawsuit argues that even if an armed conflict existed, the intentional killing of civilians not directly participating in hostilities constitutes a war crime under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2441).
Judge’s Recusal Order
On January 28, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson filed a formal self-recusal.
Levenson decided to withdraw from the case based on federal statute 28 U.S.C. § 455, which mandates that any judge, magistrate, or U.S. magistrate must disqualify themselves in any proceeding where their impartiality might be reasonably questioned, which applies in cases of personal bias, financial conflicts of interest, prior knowledge, or previous involvement as a lawyer.
On the same date, the case was reassigned to District Judge Leo T. Sorokin.