GENEVA — The U.N. human rights chief has condemned U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, which are allegedly carrying illegal drugs from South America. The strikes, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, are “unacceptable” and must come to an immediate halt.

Speaking at a regular U.N. briefing on Friday, Türk’s spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, relayed his message: “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The U.S. must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”

Türk believes that the airstrikes conducted by the United States on these vessels violate international human rights law. This marks one of the first such condemnations from a U.N. organization concerning the U.S. military campaign against suspected drug trafficking boats.

President Donald Trump has defended the strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. However, this campaign against drug cartels has been divisive among countries in the region.

Most recently, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a military strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. He reported that the boat was carrying drugs and that all four individuals aboard were killed. This attack was the 14th strike since the campaign began in early September, resulting in at least 61 deaths.

Shamdasani pointed out that while the U.S. describes these efforts as part of an anti-drug and counter-terrorism campaign, there is broad international agreement that combating illicit drug trafficking is primarily a law enforcement matter. This matter is subject to “careful limits” on the use of lethal force.

According to international standards, intentional lethal force is permitted only as a last resort, and only against individuals who represent “an imminent threat to life.” Otherwise, such use of force would violate the right to life and be classified as extrajudicial killings.

Furthermore, these strikes are occurring “outside the context” of armed conflict or active hostilities, emphasizing the problematic nature of the U.S. military actions.

The U.N. human rights office’s call for an investigation into the strikes underscores growing concerns over the human cost and legality of the U.S. campaign against drug trafficking by sea.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/human-rights-chief-us-strikes-alleged-drug-boats-127050135