The US aircraft that carried out the first airstrike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean was reportedly disguised as a civilian plane – a possible war crime. The Venezuelan government denied that the dead men had been gang members, and Washington presented no proof they were involved in drug smuggling. The Pentagon has justified the killings on the grounds that the US is at war with drug trafficking cartels. Bhuta said the use of civilian disguises in war would have a corrosive effect, for example making every airliner with civilian markings a potential target. The report said that since the initial September airstrike, the US military has switched to using identifiably military aircraft, including drones, though added it was unclear whether those aircraft were at low enough altitude to be seen by their targets.
