The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned U.S. military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, calling them “unacceptable” and demanding an immediate halt. At a regular U.N. briefing, Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for Türk’s office, stated that the attacks have caused significant human suffering and violate international human rights law. She emphasized that lethal force should only be used as a last resort against individuals posing an “imminent threat to life,” warning that the current actions constitute extrajudicial killings.
U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced another strike in the eastern Pacific, killing four people aboard a vessel suspected of transporting drugs. This marks the 14th such attack since early September, with at least 61 fatalities reported. While U.S. officials, including former President Donald Trump, have framed the campaign as necessary to combat drug trafficking, the U.N. representative stressed that counter-drug efforts should remain within law enforcement frameworks, not military operations. The strikes, she noted, occur “outside the context” of armed conflict, further undermining their justification under international law.
