‘Unacceptable’: UN Condemns US Strikes On Alleged Drug Boats In The Caribbean, Calls For Immediate Halt

New York: The United Nations has called on the United States to immediately halt airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, citing concerns over “extrajudicial killings”. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has condemned the US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, allegedly carrying illegal drugs from South America. 

Slamming the action "unacceptable", Turk called for an immediate halt to the operations. The UN's top human rights official expressed deep concern over the mounting human cost of these strikes, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 61 people since the campaign began in early September.

The US military has been conducting airstrikes against suspected drug traffickers in the region, with the latest strike occurring on October 29, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing all four people on board. According to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the boat was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and carrying narcotics. However, the UN has raised serious concerns about the use of lethal force in these operations, arguing that it violates international human rights law.

The UN human rights chief rejected the argument that the strikes fall under the laws of war, stating that the killings cannot be justified even in the name of combating crime. The US must act within the bounds of international human rights law, ensuring that its actions do not lead to further loss of life or human rights abuses.

Turk Stresses International Law And Human Rights

Blasting the US strikes on boats, Volker Turk asserted that the fight against illicit drug trafficking is a law enforcement matter that should be governed by careful limits on the use of lethal force. He stressed that intentional use of lethal force is only justified as a last resort against someone representing an imminent threat to life. "Otherwise, it would amount to a violation of the right of life and constitute extrajudicial killings," Turk said. The UN human rights chief's condemnation is a massive rebuke to the US government's claims that its actions are justified under international law.

The US has announced plans to target drug-trafficking routes and cocaine facilities inside Venezuela, which has raised concerns about military buildup in the region. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denounced the strikes as heinous crimes intended to effect regime change in his country. 

US Justification and International Reaction

The United States, however, has accused Maduro's government of narcoterrorism, but the strikes have been doubted by some countries in the region. The US military's growing presence near Venezuela has stoked fears that the Trump administration could try to topple Maduro's government.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks on the boats as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. However, the campaign against drug cartels has been divisive among countries in the region. When asked if the US was considering land strikes in Venezuela, Trump said, "No," but his comments have done little to alleviate concerns about the US's intentions in the region.

The US military has intensified operations against drug-smuggling boats in international waters, deploying over 4500 Marines and sailors to the Caribbean.