Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve

The U.S. military conducted lethal strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific starting September 2025, and captured Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 for prosecution. Legal analyses in the collection examine the operations' compliance with domestic and international law, including maritime law, head of state immunity, and presidential authority to use force.