A year into Trump’s boat strike campaign, families search for answers

While the Trump administration claims it has killed ‘narcoterrorists’, families fear fishermen are among the victims. Rayshawn Charlery stands on a dock in Saint Lucia, his heavy-lidded eyes looking out at the colourful Caribbean fishing boats dotting the bay. He last saw his father, fisherman Joseph “Nathy” William, a week before his disappearance in February. On February 13, William went fishing with Ricky Joseph, a father of four. Neither returned home.

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Scoop News DeskSaint Lucia, Hawaii · Published Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 5:35 PM UTCUpdated Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 8:14 PM UTC

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Ricky often supported his family with the few thousand dollars he earned from fishing each year, according to his partner Lucillia Charles. Amanda Klasing, the national director for government relations and advocacy at Amnesty International USA, is sceptical of Trump’s rationale. “There is no evidence that the people that are being killed in this campaign have any means by which they could cause harm or violence against Americans.

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