Did US Commit War Crime: America, which advocates human rights, international law and rules of war across the world, is once again under serious allegations. According to a report in The New York Times, the US Army took such a step during a military operation in the Caribbean Sea in September 2025, the truth of which has created an uproar. America, which draws red lines for others, has done the same thing itself. The surprising thing is that America had accused Russia a few days ago, now reports are saying that it itself has done the same.
According to the report, the US Army attacked a boat by disguising one of its military aircraft as a civilian aircraft. In the language of international law it is called ‘perfidy’. FIt means deceiving or attacking the enemy by pretending to be a civilian. Interestingly, doing so is a crime not only under international law but also under American military law itself.
A military plane was painted and turned into a civil plane.
According to the New York Times report, on September 2, 2025, a boat was attacked in the Caribbean Sea. The attacking plane looked like a civilian plane from outside. The weapons were also kept hidden inside the aircraft, not under the wings, so that its military identity was not exposed. Not only this, two unarmed sailors left at sea after the first strike were attacked again and killed. These boats were accused of carrying drugs, but under international maritime law, killing unarmed shipwrecked survivors is a pure war crime.
Labeled as narco-terrorist, but America could not provide proof
The Donald Trump administration termed these attacks as an action against drugs and termed those killed as narco-terrorists. However, till date no concrete evidence has been presented regarding this, nor has it been told who the 123 sailors who died were. Since September 2, the US has carried out at least 35 attacks in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. In most of these cases, no evidence was found that these boats were smuggling drugs.
The boat was attacked in the Caribbean Sea.
What does the law of war say?
Major General (retired) Steven J., former senior legal officer of the US Air Force. Lepper explains that attacking while hiding one’s identity is a war crime.
If a military aircraft attacks by hiding its identity and does not even give the enemy a chance to understand that it is in military danger, then it is perfidy and it is a war crime.
The American War Handbook itself states that combat at sea must be conducted within the limits of military honor and that commanders have a responsibility to keep their troops and equipment clearly distinguishable from civilians.
If Russia does a crime, America does a secret mission.
When America accuses Russia of hiding, changing the color or deceiving any of its ships or military equipment, it immediately calls it an international crime. Recently, something similar had happened in the Atlantic Sea and America, while seizing a Russian oil tanker, said that it had hastily painted it and put the Russian flag on it. America and its allies repeatedly imposed sanctions on Russia, gave statements and taught morality lessons regarding such incidents in the Russia-Ukraine war. When America itself is doing the same thing, then it becomes a national security issue.
When were Trump first accused of war crimes?
This is not the first time that America has been accused of war crimes during Donald Trump’s tenure. However, the seriousness of this case is greater because it involves all three, deception, deceit and killing of unarmed people. For America, which calls itself the protector of the rule-based international system in the world, this matter is a big question on its credibility. If the law is equal for everyone, then America will also have to stand in the same dock in which it has made Russia, Iran or any other country stand. During Trump’s tenure in the year 2020, Trump has also been embroiled in the matter of the assassination of Iranian General Qasim Sulemani and the pardon of war crimes of American soldiers of Afghanistan.
