Did the US commit a war crime by using a 'civilian' plane in a deadly strike that killed 11?
- Charlie SavageEric SchmittJohn IsmayJulian E Barnes
- New York TimesUpdated: Jan 13, 2026, 17:30 IST IST
The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first attack on a boat that the Trump administration said was smuggling drugs, killing 11 people last September, according to officials briefed on the matter. The aircraft also carried its munitions inside the fuselage, rather than visibly under its wings, they said.