U.N. Condemns U.S. Military Strikes in Caribbean and Pacific as “Unacceptable”

Friday, 31 October 2025 07:02 AM EDT

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, calling them “unacceptable” and demanding an immediate halt. The remarks marked the first such criticism from a United Nations organization.

Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for Türk’s office, stated during a U.N. briefing: “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.” She added that the strikes violate international human rights law.

The U.S. War Secretary, Pete Hegseth, announced a recent strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four individuals aboard a vessel he claimed was transporting drugs. This marked the 14th such strike since early September, with at least 61 deaths reported.

Shamdasani highlighted that while the U.S. frames the campaign as an anti-drug and counter-terrorism effort, international agreements emphasize that drug trafficking is a law-enforcement issue requiring strict limits on lethal force. She noted that lethal action is permissible only when confronting an “imminent threat to life,” otherwise constituting extrajudicial killings.

The strikes occur outside the context of armed conflict, according to Shamdasani.