10 Infamous Assassinations Ordered by the American Government
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VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio
WRITTEN BY: Aidan Johnson
These notorious assassination attempts were not the result of a lone gunman. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at some of the U.S. Government's most heinous assassination attempts. Our countdown of infamous assassinations ordered by the American government includes Drone Strikes in Pakistan, Salvador Allende, Che Guevara, and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at some of the U.S. Government’s most heinous assassination attempts.
Drone Strikes in Pakistan
Between 2004 and 2018, U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killed up to 3,500 militants and hundreds of civilians, including children. These strikes lasted through three U.S. presidencies, beginning during Bush’s administration, then ramping up under Obama, before finally ceasing one year after Trump entered office. The campaign primarily targeted Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants hiding in Pakistan’s tribal regions, but it was met with criticism for the significant number of civilian casualties. The most infamous case was the 2011 strike that killed Baitullah Mehsud, a notorious Pakistani Taliban leader. While the U.S. argued the strikes were essential for national security, many condemned them for infringing on Pakistan’s sovereignty and violating human rights.
Anwar al-Awlaki
Born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, Anwar al-Awlaki was the first American citizen to be targeted and killed by a U.S. drone strike. Al-Awlaki was a cleric and influential figure in al-Qaeda, who was considered one of the group’s most dangerous members due to the attacks he inspired against the West. He was linked to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the failed “Underwear Bomber” plot, in which a man attempted to detonate explosives sewn into his underwear on a commercial airliner. In 2011, Obama ordered a drone strike in Yemen which killed al-Awlaki, sparking intense debate over the legality of the action. Some argued it was necessary to prevent future attacks, while others warned it set a dangerous precedent.
Rafael Trujillo
Rafael Trujillo was a notorious dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic with an iron fist from 1930 until 1961. Under his rule, human rights violations like mass killings, torture, and censorship, were rampant. Despite his extremely far-right ideology, the U.S. initially supported Trujillo, due to his anti-communist beliefs and pro-American stance. However, over time, these relations deteriorated, especially when Trujillo tried to assassinate Venezuelan President Rómulan Betancourt. The CIA then orchestrated a plot to eliminate him, and in 1961, he was ambushed and killed by Dominican rebels supported by the agency. His death created a power vacuum and ultimately resulted in a civil war, after which the U.S. supported the election of another far-right leader, Joaquín Balaguer.
Patrice Lumumba
The first Prime Minister of Congo, Patrice Lumumba was a charismatic and humanist leader who garnered widespread support with his message of unity and self-determination. However, soon after Lumumba took office, an army mutiny broke out which caused him to seek help from the United States and the UN. With a delayed response from both parties, he turned to the Soviet Union, a move that alarmed the U.S. amid Cold War tensions. As a result, the U.S. supported a coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu, during which Lumumba was captured and executed by firing squad. This action seemed to have been supported by President Dwight Eisenhower, who reportedly once said he wished Lumumba would “fall into a river full of crocodiles”.
Salvador Allende
In 1970, Salvador Allende became the first democratically elected Marxist president of Chile. However, his election was vehemently opposed by Richard Nixon, who viewed Allende as a threat to U.S. interests in South America. Under Nixon’s administration, the CIA authorized Project FUBELT, a covert operation aimed at destabilizing Chile and removing Allende from power. By 1973, these efforts culminated in U.S.-backed military officials storming the presidential palace to overthrow him. Allende refused to resign and delivered a final radio address, emphasizing his commitment to democracy. It is believed that he then ended his life with his own rifle, although many still dispute this ruling. Following the coup, Chile fell under a repressive military dictatorship that lasted until 1990.
Operation Condor
Operation Condor was a campaign to politically repress and terrorize South America in the ‘70s and ‘80s. It began in 1975, and involved the collaboration of numerous right-wing dictatorships, including Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. These governments collaborated closely, shared intelligence that enabled cross-border kidnappings, torture, and executions of suspected opponents. America provided significant financial support, and it resulted in the disappearance of thousands. It remains one of the most severe violations of human rights in history, with an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people killed or vanished. Its legacy still haunts those nations today, and it stands as a frightening example of the lengths the U.S. went to suppress left-wing dissent.
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi was a controversial dictator who ruled Libya from 1969 until 2011. He came into power in a coup which overthrew the previous King, and established an authoritarian regime featuring a unique blend of socialism and Arab nationalism. During his rule, he regularly violated human rights, and supported numerous militant groups around the world, giving him a reputation as a sponsor of terrorism. In 2011, the Arab Spring sparked widespread uprisings across the region, including Libya, where it resulted in Gaddafi’s government being overthrown. The unrest soon escalated into a civil war, which NATO promptly intervened in. Backed by the U.S. and NATO, Libyan rebels ultimately captured and killed Gaddafi in October 2011.
Ngô Đình Diệm
Ngô Đình Diệm became South Vietnam’s first president after the withdrawal of France from the region. His leadership was strongly supported by the United States due to his staunch opposition to communism. However, Diệm was an inhumane leader, whose regime was marked by repressive policies and the persecution of Buddhists. Seeing his rule as increasingly unstable, the Kennedy administration, through the CIA, ultimately sanctioned a group of South Vietnamese generals to stage a coup. This November 1963 coup proved successful, and Diệm and his brother were eventually captured and assassinated. The event only deepened the regional instability, leading to a succession of weak governments and drawing the U.S. further into the devastating conflict that was the Vietnam War.
Che Guevara
One of the key figures in the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara was instrumental in helping Fidel Castro overthrow the U.S.-backed regime of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He soon became an advocate for spreading socialism worldwide, leading guerilla efforts in Africa and Latin America. After getting involved in the Congo Crisis, Guevara moved to Bolivia to ignite a rebellion against the government, but he struggled to gain local support. His insurgency was soon cornered by the Bolivian army, with support from the CIA, which sought to curb communist influence in Latin America. In October 1967, Guevara was captured and executed under orders from the Bolivian government, with CIA approval. His death turned him into a martyr for revolutionary causes worldwide.
Osama bin Laden
In 2011, Operation Neptune Spear, a covert military operation, successfully located and assassinated Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda founder and mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. Bin Laden evaded capture for nearly a decade, but the CIA eventually tracked him down to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Acting on this intelligence, President Obama dispatched a team of Navy SEALs to infiltrate the compound under the cover of night. Bin Laden was killed in the raid, his identity confirmed, and his body later buried at sea to prevent any grave from becoming a symbol. Although the legal and ethical aspects of the killing remain controversial, it was a major victory for the U.S., ending the reign of the world’s most notorious terrorist.
Were there any other cold-blooded American assassination plots we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
Drone Strikes in Pakistan
Between 2004 and 2018, U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killed up to 3,500 militants and hundreds of civilians, including children. These strikes lasted through three U.S. presidencies, beginning during Bush’s administration, then ramping up under Obama, before finally ceasing one year after Trump entered office. The campaign primarily targeted Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants hiding in Pakistan’s tribal regions, but it was met with criticism for the significant number of civilian casualties. The most infamous case was the 2011 strike that killed Baitullah Mehsud, a notorious Pakistani Taliban leader. While the U.S. argued the strikes were essential for national security, many condemned them for infringing on Pakistan’s sovereignty and violating human rights.
Anwar al-Awlaki
Born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, Anwar al-Awlaki was the first American citizen to be targeted and killed by a U.S. drone strike. Al-Awlaki was a cleric and influential figure in al-Qaeda, who was considered one of the group’s most dangerous members due to the attacks he inspired against the West. He was linked to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the failed “Underwear Bomber” plot, in which a man attempted to detonate explosives sewn into his underwear on a commercial airliner. In 2011, Obama ordered a drone strike in Yemen which killed al-Awlaki, sparking intense debate over the legality of the action. Some argued it was necessary to prevent future attacks, while others warned it set a dangerous precedent.
Rafael Trujillo
Rafael Trujillo was a notorious dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic with an iron fist from 1930 until 1961. Under his rule, human rights violations like mass killings, torture, and censorship, were rampant. Despite his extremely far-right ideology, the U.S. initially supported Trujillo, due to his anti-communist beliefs and pro-American stance. However, over time, these relations deteriorated, especially when Trujillo tried to assassinate Venezuelan President Rómulan Betancourt. The CIA then orchestrated a plot to eliminate him, and in 1961, he was ambushed and killed by Dominican rebels supported by the agency. His death created a power vacuum and ultimately resulted in a civil war, after which the U.S. supported the election of another far-right leader, Joaquín Balaguer.
Patrice Lumumba
The first Prime Minister of Congo, Patrice Lumumba was a charismatic and humanist leader who garnered widespread support with his message of unity and self-determination. However, soon after Lumumba took office, an army mutiny broke out which caused him to seek help from the United States and the UN. With a delayed response from both parties, he turned to the Soviet Union, a move that alarmed the U.S. amid Cold War tensions. As a result, the U.S. supported a coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu, during which Lumumba was captured and executed by firing squad. This action seemed to have been supported by President Dwight Eisenhower, who reportedly once said he wished Lumumba would “fall into a river full of crocodiles”.
Salvador Allende
In 1970, Salvador Allende became the first democratically elected Marxist president of Chile. However, his election was vehemently opposed by Richard Nixon, who viewed Allende as a threat to U.S. interests in South America. Under Nixon’s administration, the CIA authorized Project FUBELT, a covert operation aimed at destabilizing Chile and removing Allende from power. By 1973, these efforts culminated in U.S.-backed military officials storming the presidential palace to overthrow him. Allende refused to resign and delivered a final radio address, emphasizing his commitment to democracy. It is believed that he then ended his life with his own rifle, although many still dispute this ruling. Following the coup, Chile fell under a repressive military dictatorship that lasted until 1990.
Operation Condor
Operation Condor was a campaign to politically repress and terrorize South America in the ‘70s and ‘80s. It began in 1975, and involved the collaboration of numerous right-wing dictatorships, including Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. These governments collaborated closely, shared intelligence that enabled cross-border kidnappings, torture, and executions of suspected opponents. America provided significant financial support, and it resulted in the disappearance of thousands. It remains one of the most severe violations of human rights in history, with an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people killed or vanished. Its legacy still haunts those nations today, and it stands as a frightening example of the lengths the U.S. went to suppress left-wing dissent.
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi was a controversial dictator who ruled Libya from 1969 until 2011. He came into power in a coup which overthrew the previous King, and established an authoritarian regime featuring a unique blend of socialism and Arab nationalism. During his rule, he regularly violated human rights, and supported numerous militant groups around the world, giving him a reputation as a sponsor of terrorism. In 2011, the Arab Spring sparked widespread uprisings across the region, including Libya, where it resulted in Gaddafi’s government being overthrown. The unrest soon escalated into a civil war, which NATO promptly intervened in. Backed by the U.S. and NATO, Libyan rebels ultimately captured and killed Gaddafi in October 2011.
Ngô Đình Diệm
Ngô Đình Diệm became South Vietnam’s first president after the withdrawal of France from the region. His leadership was strongly supported by the United States due to his staunch opposition to communism. However, Diệm was an inhumane leader, whose regime was marked by repressive policies and the persecution of Buddhists. Seeing his rule as increasingly unstable, the Kennedy administration, through the CIA, ultimately sanctioned a group of South Vietnamese generals to stage a coup. This November 1963 coup proved successful, and Diệm and his brother were eventually captured and assassinated. The event only deepened the regional instability, leading to a succession of weak governments and drawing the U.S. further into the devastating conflict that was the Vietnam War.
Che Guevara
One of the key figures in the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara was instrumental in helping Fidel Castro overthrow the U.S.-backed regime of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He soon became an advocate for spreading socialism worldwide, leading guerilla efforts in Africa and Latin America. After getting involved in the Congo Crisis, Guevara moved to Bolivia to ignite a rebellion against the government, but he struggled to gain local support. His insurgency was soon cornered by the Bolivian army, with support from the CIA, which sought to curb communist influence in Latin America. In October 1967, Guevara was captured and executed under orders from the Bolivian government, with CIA approval. His death turned him into a martyr for revolutionary causes worldwide.
Osama bin Laden
In 2011, Operation Neptune Spear, a covert military operation, successfully located and assassinated Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda founder and mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. Bin Laden evaded capture for nearly a decade, but the CIA eventually tracked him down to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Acting on this intelligence, President Obama dispatched a team of Navy SEALs to infiltrate the compound under the cover of night. Bin Laden was killed in the raid, his identity confirmed, and his body later buried at sea to prevent any grave from becoming a symbol. Although the legal and ethical aspects of the killing remain controversial, it was a major victory for the U.S., ending the reign of the world’s most notorious terrorist.
Were there any other cold-blooded American assassination plots we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
