Archbishop Broglio Condemns U.S. Lethal Boat Strikes in the Caribbean

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and

Archbishop for the Military Services, has issued a clear moral warning about the U.S. military’s recent lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean. These operations, meant to target drug trafficking, have resulted in more than 87 deaths. Reports now indicate that some survivors—people who were no longer a threat—may have been intentionally killed afterward.

In his statement, the Archbishop reminds our leaders that every person has God-given dignity, even those suspected of wrongdoing. He points out that survivors of these strikes are considered hors de combat under the U.S. Law of War Manual, meaning they are noncombatants who must be protected. Intentionally killing them is both immoral and illegal.

Broglio stresses that the end does not justify the means. He warns that military personnel must never be asked to follow orders that violate conscience or basic moral teaching. Asking service members to harm defenseless people places them in an unjust and impossible position.

He also notes that abandoning due process and resorting to extrajudicial violence damages America’s long-standing moral commitments. As a nation that claims to value human rights and justice, actions like these undermine that witness.

“It would be an illegal and immoral order to kill deliberately survivors on a vessel who pose no immediate lethal threat to our armed forces,” the Archbishop said, urging national leaders to uphold human dignity and the rule of law.

For Christians paying attention to these events, Broglio’s message is a reminder of the moral principles that should guide our country—and the responsibility our leaders have to protect life, honor justice, and act with integrity.