**U.N. Human Rights Chief Condemns U.S. Military Strikes Against Drug-Smuggling Boats**
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. Describing these strikes as “unacceptable,” Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for an immediate halt to the attacks and demanded an investigation.
At a regular U.N. briefing on Friday, Türk’s spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, conveyed 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 expressed his belief that the airstrikes conducted by the United States on these vessels violate international human rights law.
President Donald Trump has defended the strikes as a necessary escalation aimed at curbing the flow of drugs into the United States. However, the campaign against drug cartels has been divisive among countries in the region.
On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the latest military strike against a boat carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. All four people aboard were killed. This marked the 14th strike since the campaign began in early September, with the death toll rising to at least 61.
Shamdasani acknowledged the U.S. framing of the operations as part of an anti-drug and counter-terrorism campaign, but emphasized international consensus that combating illicit drug trafficking is a law enforcement matter. Such efforts are subject to “careful limits” on the use of lethal force.
She explained that the intentional use of lethal force is only permitted as a last resort against someone posing “an imminent threat to life.”
“Otherwise, it would amount to a violation of the right to life and constitute extrajudicial killings,” she said.
Furthermore, Shamdasani noted that the strikes are occurring “outside the context” of armed conflict or active hostilities, raising serious legal and ethical concerns.
The call from the U.N. human rights chief marks the first condemnation of its kind from a United Nations organization regarding this campaign, underscoring the urgent need for scrutiny and accountability.
https://abc7.com/post/human-rights-chief-says-us-strikes-alleged-drug-boats-are-unacceptable/18094967/
