'Perfect Murder': Family of Trinidadian Fisherman Killed in U.S. Strike in the Caribbean Demands Proof From Trump

The family of Chad "Charpo" Joseph, a 26-year-old fisherman from Trinidad and Tobago, has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of committing what they called a "perfect murder" after Joseph was reportedly killed in a U.S. military strike on a boat in the southern Caribbean this week.

Relatives said Joseph was among several people killed when U.S. forces carried out one of a series of air and sea strikes on vessels Washington claims were involved in drug trafficking. The Trump administration has not presented any public evidence to support those allegations.

"I'm feeling very hurt. You know why? Donald Trump took a father, a brother, an uncle, and a nephew from families. Donald Trump don't care what he is doing," said Afisha Clement, Joseph's cousin, speaking to Reuters outside the family's modest home in the fishing village of Las Cuevas. "If you say a boat has narcotics on it, where is the narcotics? We want evidence, we want proof. There is nothing."

Joseph's great-uncle, Cecil McClean, 93, condemned the strike as "perfect murder," questioning the U.S. government's claims. "There is nothing they could prove that they are coming across our waters with drugs," McClean said. "How could Trump prove the boat was bringing narcotics?"

The U.S. military has conducted at least six strikes in recent weeks as part of a campaign Trump says targets "Venezuelan narcoterrorists" operating in Caribbean waters. At least 27 people have been killed, according to regional authorities, though Washington has not disclosed the names or nationalities of those targeted. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said some of the victims may have been Colombian nationals, while U.S. officials have described others as Venezuelans.

Joseph's relatives said he had been working as a fisherman and had traveled to Venezuela six months ago to find employment. They believe he was returning home when his boat was struck on Tuesday.

His mother, Lenore Burnley, said she learned of his death through social media posts and has not been contacted by local authorities. "I put everything in God's hands. God will give me my satisfaction," she said, when asked what message she would send to Trump.

Human rights lawyers and opposition lawmakers in the U.S. have questioned the legality of the operations. Several have asked why the U.S. Coast Guard, the primary maritime law enforcement agency, was not leading the missions instead of the military, and whether efforts were made to interdict or verify the cargo before launching lethal strikes.

The Trump administration has provided no details about the individuals killed, nor the evidence used to justify the attacks. A senior U.S. defense official told Reuters that a strike on Thursday was the first believed to have left survivors.

On Wednesday, Trump confirmed he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, a move that U.S. officials described as part of a broader strategy to pressure President Nicolás Maduro, who Washington accuses of facilitating drug trafficking. Maduro denies the allegations and has asked the United Nations Security Council to investigate the legality of the strikes, calling them "acts of aggression against the sovereignty of Latin America."

In Las Cuevas, Joseph's family continues to wait for official confirmation of his death and the return of his body. "We just want justice and the truth," Clement said. "If they are accusing him of being a criminal, let them prove it. Otherwise, this was nothing but murder.Family in Trinidad Says U.S. Strike Killed an Innocent Fisherman — and They Want Trump to Prove It