UN OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani makes a statement regarding the US Navy blowing up a boat in the Caribbean and allegedly killing 11 people, Geneva, September 5, 2025. Photo: UN News.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged states to respect international law in actions against drug trafficking. This statement came following the attack reported by the Trump administration on an alleged “narco vessel” in the Caribbean Sea.
In the operation, the US Department of Defense reported the death of eleven people, classified as “narcoterrorists.”
UN OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated in a press conference in Geneva on Friday, September 5, that drug trafficking does not justify the use of lethal force. “People should not be killed for consuming, trafficking, selling, or possessing drugs,” she stated.
She emphasized that the fight against drug trafficking must comply with the principles of legality, and states are responsible for its implementation. “The intentional use of lethal force is only permitted as a last resort against an imminent threat to life,” she stated.
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Shamdasani added that any death in operations of this type requires an independent, swift, and transparent investigation.
She highlighted the need to respect human rights and the international legal framework in these operations.
The statement from the UN spokesperson comes three days after the president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that the US Navy blew up a vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing all 11 people on board. He alleged, without providing any evidence or information, that the boat was coming from Venezuela and transporting drugs to the United States. To date, no information has been released regarding the identity of the individuals killed.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
