A recent essay has stirred discussions on how foreign nations might examine actions taken by Trump-era officials in the U.S. military. Published on May 27, 2026, on Just Security, it lays out a roadmap for accumulating evidence against top military leaders.
Titled “International Accountability for U.S. Crimes in the Caribbean and Pacific,” the article was penned by Tracey Begley, Benjamin R. Farley, and Sarah Harrison. The authors propose that foreign governments could take time to quietly assemble cases against U.S. officials.
Harrison’s prior role as a counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security during the Obama years adds weight to the authors’ perspectives. Farley and Begley also have extensive backgrounds within the government, making their insights notable.
Targeted Officials
The essay specifically names U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Admiral Frank Bradley, and General Francis Donovan as individuals who could potentially face serious allegations. The authors claim that U.S. military strikes on certain vessels amount to unjustified killings.
They assert that these actions could even be construed as crimes against humanity, citing a disturbing number of casualties linked to these operations.
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Former Obama advisers are openly calling for foreign countries to pursue criminal cases against Secretary Hegseth.
Their proposal: “quietly gather evidence” now and wait until Trump leaves office to issue indictments. pic.twitter.com/jxfKyxXdyJ
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) November 14, 2026
In their guidance to foreign nations, the authors suggest that evidence-gathering could occur without immediate public attention, cautioning that any potential indictments should wait until the Trump administration is out of office.
They also note that the severity of murder charges generally allows for longer periods before statutes of limitations kick in. This gives foreign courts a significant window to act, even if U.S. officials cannot be apprehended immediately.
While acknowledging the geopolitical complexities involved, they emphasize that many of these nations already possess legal frameworks capable of prosecuting serious crimes.
This essay is part of a larger discourse among former officials about holding accountable those previously in the Trump administration. Notably, the continued exploration of legal pathways evokes strong sentiments on both sides of the political spectrum.
