A recent report by the NGO Project Ploughshares, shared exclusively with CBC’s visual investigations team, reveals that a sophisticated Canadian-made camera system was utilized in contentious U.S. operations targeting suspected Venezuelan drug boats. The analysis conducted by CBC, incorporating information from the Project Ploughshares report, product manuals, and consultations with former military and defense industry specialists, strongly suggests the involvement of Canadian technology in the surveillance activities during the operations.
Project Ploughshares emphasized the necessity for increased human rights oversight, expressing concerns over the misuse of Canadian weaponry in these situations. The report highlighted the use of a Canadian-manufactured L3Harris WESCAM MX-Series sensor system by the U.S. military to monitor and track the targeted boats departing from Venezuela in the initial two strikes in September.
In response to the visual analysis findings presented by CBC, L3Harris WESCAM declined to comment, stating their practice of refraining from discussing military operations. The U.S. military’s actions, including five strikes in the Caribbean aimed at vessels allegedly smuggling drugs and linked to “narcoterrorists,” have raised legal questions and international concerns regarding human rights and maritime law violations.
The White House defended the strikes, justifying them as necessary measures against a terrorist organization in self-defense and compliant with the laws of armed conflict. However, critics, including international legal experts, have raised alarms about the potential complicity of Canada in what they view as war crimes committed by the Trump administration in the Caribbean.
Global Affairs Canada acknowledged being aware of the U.S. operation and stated they are monitoring the situation closely. The utilization of Canadian surveillance technology in the initial strikes was confirmed by the Project Ploughshares report, which highlighted the visual similarities between the footage from Venezuela and other instances where Canadian-made WESCAM MX-Series systems were employed in global conflict zones.
The MX-Series, known for their electro-optical/infrared capabilities, are widely utilized in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition missions by various operators worldwide. Manufactured in Canada by L3Harris WESCAM, a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies, the systems have been exported to nearly 90 countries, with the U.S. Department of Defense being a major customer.
Furthermore, Project Ploughshares pointed out distinctive visual similarities and graphical clues in the Venezuelan strike videos that align with the capabilities of the WESCAM MX-Series systems. The investigation underscored the need for better oversight and control of Canadian arms exports to prevent their potential misuse in human rights violations abroad.