Judge gives Trump administration 14 days to show legal justification for boat attacks

New York.— A U.S. federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to turn over, within 14 days and privately, the document containing the legal justification used by the Administration to authorize attacks against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in Caribbean and Pacific waters.

Magistrate Paul Engelmayer, of the Southern District of New York Court, requested from the Trump Administration the memorandum prepared in September 2025 by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), which analyzes presidential authority to order lethal military operations against these vessels.

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According to the data presented to the court, since September 2025, the Trump administration has carried out more than 70 attacks against boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking. These operations have left at least 230 people dead, according to the information gathered in the judicial process.

The document required by the judge was prepared in September 2025, coinciding with the formal start of operations by the Department of Defense. The magistrate seeks to know the legal basis used by the Trump Administration to determine that these types of military actions fall within the president’s powers.

Engelmayer also ordered the Government to report who has had access to the memorandum, when they consulted it, and for what purpose. The Administration must also provide a database that justifies the reasons why certain individuals had access to the document.

The judicial decision comes in the context of a lawsuit filed by civil rights organizations seeking to obtain information on the legal basis for military operations. The plaintiffs challenge the Government’s refusal to provide the document previously requested through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Among the organizations that drove the process are the Center for Constitutional Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).

The groups went before the Southern District Court of New York after the Government did not respond favorably to their request for information. The process seeks to determine whether the Administration can keep the document that legally supports the operations under seal.

The judge’s requirement does not imply, for the moment, that the memorandum will be made public. Engelmayer requested that the document be submitted to the court privately so that he can evaluate its content and subsequently determine what information, if any, can be disclosed.

Trump under review

The request also places under judicial review the decisions adopted by the Trump Administration regarding the use of military force against vessels identified as part of drug trafficking operations.

The case could become an important point in the debate over the limits of presidential authority and the transparency of U.S. military operations. The plaintiff organizations argue that knowing the legal basis for these actions is essential to evaluating their legality.

For now, the Trump administration must comply with the 14-day deadline set by the court and deliver the requested document, in addition to providing information related to the individuals who had access to the memorandum.

The dispute will continue as the court analyzes the documentation and the parties present their arguments regarding the scope of the government reservation and the obligation to provide information related to military operations.

The order also represents a new judicial review of the Trump Administration’s actions regarding security and the fight against drug trafficking, particularly due to the number of operations carried out and the deaths recorded during these attacks.