In a significant development, the United Nations has issued a stern condemnation of U.S. military strikes targeting boats suspected of transporting illegal drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, labeled these actions as “unacceptable” and called for an immediate cessation of the strikes. Speaking through his spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, Türk emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the operations, marking the first such rebuke from a U.N. body. Shamdasani stated that the attacks, which have resulted in a rising human toll, violate international human rights law and constitute extrajudicial killings. The U.S. has justified the strikes as part of a broader campaign to combat drug trafficking, a stance that has sparked controversy among regional nations. Since the campaign’s inception in early September, 14 strikes have been carried out, resulting in at least 61 fatalities. Shamdasani underscored that the fight against drug trafficking is a law enforcement issue, governed by strict limits on the use of lethal force, which is permissible only as a last resort against an imminent threat to life. She argued that the strikes, conducted outside the context of armed conflict, amount to violations of the right to life.
UN human rights chief says US strikes on alleged drug boats are ‘unacceptable’
