UN Human Rights Chief Condemns US Military Actions in the Caribbean, Calls for Independent Investigation
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned US military actions in the Caribbean as a "violation of international and humanitarian law." Turk called for an "immediate and independent investigation" into these operations.
Turk’s remarks followed a statement from Human Rights Watch, which urged US allies to denounce the attacks, labeling them as "illegal" and targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. The organization emphasized that countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands—who have "influence in the Caribbean"—should exercise due diligence and reassess their maritime cooperation with Washington's military campaign.
The organization stressed that "under both American and international law, suspects who have committed crimes must be arrested and brought to justice, not extrajudicially executed." It listed Canada, the UK, France, and the Netherlands as countries that should issue condemnations against this campaign, which has led to divisions in the US Congress and increased pressure on senior government officials.
In contrast, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth distanced himself from one of the most controversial operations, where two survivors of a previous attack on a suspect vessel in the Caribbean were killed. Hegseth firmly denied having "given an order to kill the surviving sailors." In response, the White House confirmed that an officer under Hegseth's command had ordered the attack.
It is noteworthy that the military campaign initiated by President Donald Trump's administration against vessels suspected of drug smuggling has resulted in over 80 fatalities, without public evidence of these vessels' involvement in the alleged activities.
