The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Tuesday announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking the release of a memo justifying the Department of War's attacks on suspected drug boats operating out of Venezuela.

The Trump administration has pursued a policy of using the military to destroy suspected drug boats and to kill their crews in a bid to stop the flow of narcotics into the U.S. The moves have prompted due process concerns in Washington, with libertarian critics such as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., condemning the attacks.

The ACLU specifically seeks an Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion asserting that military servicemembers could not be held liable for targeting the boats.

"Prompt disclosure of these records is critically important to ensuring informed public debate about the U.S. military’s unprecedented strikes, which have killed more than eighty civilians since September, in clear violation of domestic and international law,” they wrote, according to The Hill.

The adminsitration has thus far defended its approach to the drug boats and the attacks form part of a pressure campaign against the Venezuelan government, which has also aided illegal immigration to the U.S.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.