UN Condemns US Strikes on Suspected Drug-Smuggling Boats, Calls Them ‘Unacceptable’

The United Nations has strongly criticised recent US military strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, calling the actions “unacceptable” and potentially unlawful under international human rights law.

According to UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, the operations, carried out since early September, have reportedly targeted at least 14 boats, killing more than 60 people. The US military described the strikes as part of a counter-narcotics campaign aimed at disrupting drug shipments bound for American shores. However, the UN said drug trafficking should be handled as a law enforcement matter, not through military force.

Shamdasani said the use of lethal force is only permitted when there is an “imminent threat to life” and that such conditions did not appear to apply in these cases. “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable,” she said, urging the United States to immediately halt the operations and conduct an independent investigation.

The UN also warned that the strikes, conducted outside an active armed conflict, could constitute extrajudicial killings in violation of the right to life protected under international law.

Legal experts have questioned the justification provided by Washington, which reportedly labelled the targeted groups as “non-state armed actors” linked to terrorism and argued that the operations were part of a “non-international armed conflict.” Critics say this classification stretches legal definitions and could set a dangerous precedent for using military force against criminal networks.

The US government has defended the campaign, saying it is necessary to curb the flow of narcotics and dismantle cartels that threaten regional stability. Officials claim the targets were armed and posed a security risk to US forces and allies.

The UN’s rebuke adds to growing international scrutiny over the legality of such operations and their humanitarian impact. Human rights organisations have called for transparency and accountability, urging the United States to share details of the strikes, including target verification and civilian casualty assessments.

As global concern mounts, the episode has reopened debate over how far nations can go in combating transnational crime without breaching international human rights obligations.