The United Nations has condemned the United States’ recent airstrikes on boats accused of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, calling the operations a violation of international human rights law and urging an immediate end to the campaign.

In a statement to  News men on Friday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the U.S. attacks, which have killed more than 60 people since September, amount to extrajudicial killings that must be investigated.

“These attacks – and their mounting human cost – are unacceptable,” Türk said. “The U.S. must halt such operations and take all necessary measures to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats, whatever the criminal conduct alleged against them.”

Türk emphasized that under international human rights law, lethal force is justified only as a last resort against individuals who present an imminent threat to life.

“Based on the very limited information publicly provided by U.S. authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose such a threat,” he added.

White House Pushes Back

The White House swiftly rejected the U.N.’s criticism. Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly defended President Donald Trump’s actions, saying the strikes were conducted to protect the U.S. from “narco-terrorists” attempting to smuggle drugs into the country.

“The U.N. has failed at everything from operating an escalator to ending wars — it’s ridiculous that they are now lecturing President Trump and running cover for evil narcoterrorists trying to murder Americans,” Kelly said.
“The President acted in line with the laws of armed conflict to protect our country and fulfill his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats.”

Dozens Killed in Expanding Campaign

Since early September, the Trump administration has launched more than a dozen airstrikes on suspected narcotics vessels in international waters of the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

The operations, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, are described by the Pentagon as part of an “anti-drug and counterterrorism campaign” targeting cartel-linked groups allegedly designated as terrorist organizations.

On Wednesday, Hegseth announced the latest and deadliest strike, claiming it destroyed a “narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.”

“This vessel, like all the others, was known by our intelligence to be carrying narcotics along a known smuggling route,” Hegseth said.

According to U.S. defense officials, over 60 people have been killed in these maritime strikes. Two survivors — one from Ecuador and another from Colombia — were later repatriated by the U.S. Navy.

U.N. Urges Accountability

The U.N. human rights office said this is the first formal condemnation of the U.S. airstrike campaign and called on Washington to conduct transparent investigations into each incident.

“The United States should investigate and, if necessary, prosecute individuals accused of serious crimes through due process and fair trial — principles for which it has long stood,” the statement said.

Human rights groups have echoed the U.N.’s concerns, warning that the use of lethal force without judicial oversight risks setting a dangerous precedent for international maritime law and counter-narcotics operations.

Despite mounting criticism, U.S. officials have given no indication the campaign will stop. Defense Secretary Hegseth has vowed to continue the strikes “day after day”, describing the cartels as “the al-Qaeda of our hemisphere.”