Watchdog groups file lawsuit, seeking DOJ memo justifying air strikes on alleged cartel boats

Dec. 10, 2025

The ACLU, NYCLU, and the CCR filed a complaint in Manhattan Federal court, compelling the release of a DOJ memo said to provide legal authority to carry out the controversial and lethal air strikes. The memo is a legal opinion issued by the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel. The lawsuit, filed under FOIA, argues that "the public deserves to know how the Trump administration has justified the outright murder of civilians as lawful ... ."

Further Reading :

• Legal Groups Sue Justice Dept. for Secret Memo Justifying Boat Strikes [The New York Times]
  Dec. 9, 2025 — The organizations — the American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights — filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan, asking a judge to order the release of the memo and any other relevant records.
• All the ways the Trump administration has changed its story on the boat strikes [CNN]
  Dec. 8, 2025 — Supporters of the strikes appear to be shifting their justifications.
• Mapping U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific [The Washington Post]
  Dec. 5, 2025 — An ongoing record of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since Sept. 2.

Source Documents :

• ACLU, et al. v. DOJ, et al. - FOIA Lawsuit re : Drug boat strikes memo : American Civil Liberties Union
  The American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking the immediate release of an Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion and other documents related to President Trump’s illegal lethal strikes on civilian boats in international waters.

Key Words :

• 2025 Trump air strikes on alleged drug cartels
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Frank M. Bradley
• Peter B. Hegseth