The plane used by the U.S. military to strike an alleged drug-smuggling boat off Venezuela last fall was painted to look like a civilian aircraft. That appears to be at odds with the Pentagon's manual on the laws of war, which prohibits troops from pretending to be civilians while engaged in combat. The plane was carrying munitions in the fuselage, raising questions about the extent to which the operation was disguised. Details of the plane’s appearance, first reported by The New York Times, were confirmed by two people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss it. The Pentagon said “the U.S. military utilizes a wide array of standard and nonstandard aircraft depending on mission requirements.”
