Pentagon Report Claims 0 Civilian Deaths in 2025 Boat Strikes as Officials Call It a Whitewash
Updated
Updated · Raw Story · Aug 11
Pentagon Report Claims 0 Civilian Deaths in 2025 Boat Strikes as Officials Call It a Whitewash
2 articles · Updated · Raw Story · Aug 11
Summary
An unreleased Pentagon civilian-casualty report sent to Congress says 2025 U.S. boat strikes killed no civilians, despite officials who saw it calling that finding a "total whitewash" and "a fucking joke."
The report still found broader U.S. operations likely killed 153 civilians and wounded nearly 250 in Yemen's Operation Rough Rider, while one official said those figures were low and 15 more attacks remain under review.
Officials said the boat-strike finding clashes with evidence that more than 120 civilians were killed last year and that total victims now exceed 220, even as the administration has labeled them "narcoterrorists" without evidence.
The dispute lands after Pete Hegseth's Pentagon cut civilian-harm programs, shrinking CENTCOM's mitigation team from 10 people to 1 and the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence from 40 staff to 9.
That backlog could deepen in the current Iran war, which the 2025 report does not cover, as Airwars logged civilian-harm reports daily through the first ceasefire and WHO put Iran's death toll at 3,375 before fighting resumed.
With oversight teams dismantled and databases defunded, what is the true, hidden human cost of the Pentagon's 2025 global military operations?
Operation Southern Spear: The Human, Legal, and Geopolitical Toll of 220+ Civilian Deaths in U.S. Maritime Drug War
Overview
Operation Southern Spear, launched by the U.S. military in September 2025, has led to a sharp rise in civilian deaths as the campaign expanded across the Caribbean and Pacific. The Trump administration justified these lethal strikes by labeling Latin American cartels as terrorist organizations and claiming a state of armed conflict, while shielding service members with secret legal opinions. However, widespread and systematic attacks on civilian boats have triggered legal challenges, international condemnation, and warnings that U.S. officials could face prosecution for crimes against humanity. As Congress remains sidelined and global powers watch closely, the campaign risks eroding both domestic oversight and international legal norms.