Screenshot of a video released by the US War Secretary, appearing to show the moment a small boat was hit by a US extrajudicial killing in the Caribbean on November 1, 2025. Photo: X/@SecWar.
The systematic lethal attacks by the United States on small boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific amount to international crimes, United Nations experts have warned.
“These attacks appear to be unlawful killings carried out by order of a government, without judicial or legal process allowing due process of law,” the experts stated, referring to the ongoing strikes by US military forces in international waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific that have killed more than 60 people to date.
The UN experts in question are Morris Tidball Binz, special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions; Ben Saul, special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights; and George Katrougalos, independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. United Nations special rapporteurs and independent experts are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Since September 2, 2025, there have been at least 15 strikes reported by the US, with 64 persons alleged to have been killed and three survivors.
Although US authorities have argued that the attacks were against suspected drug traffickers, the UN experts considered that they “do not appear to have been conducted within the context of national self-defense, an international or non-international armed conflict, nor against individuals posing an imminent threat to life, thus violating fundamental international human rights law prohibiting arbitrary deprivation of life.”
The experts added that “unprovoked attacks and killings on international waters also violate international maritime laws.”
The Legal Fabrication of Death in Washington’s Caribbean War
Another important point highlighted by the UN experts is the obligation of the US armed forces to prevent their personnel from committing international crimes. “All members of armed forces must comply with their internal operating procedures and military manuals and strictly abide by international law,” they stated. “Officers should refuse superior orders where these are a manifest violation of the law, and may result in a serious violation of human rights, including extrajudicial executions.”
“The respect for the right to life is sacrosanct and must be upheld by all states,” noted a statement by the three experts.
The experts urged the United States to immediately halt all such attacks against vessels at sea, and they called for comprehensive and impartial investigations into all the attacks which have occurred since September 2, 2025, including guarantees of truth, justice, and reparations for the families of victims.
“All states must abide by their obligations under international law and the United Nations Charter,” they wrote.
In this regard, Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil highlighted that the United Nations has once again warned that “these attacks are illegal and could constitute international crimes, in violation of fundamental norms of international human rights law and international maritime law.”
(Ăšltimas Noticias) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SL
