Volker Türk urges Washington to halt lethal maritime operations he says violate international law.
GENEVA | October 31, 2025
Key Points:
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned recent US military strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, calling them “extrajudicial killings” that breach international law.
- Türk said at least 60 people have been killed since early September and urged the US to immediately stop the attacks and launch independent investigations.
- President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes as necessary against “narco-terrorist” groups and within presidential authority.
- Regional governments, including Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, have denounced the US actions, warning of rising tensions and violations of sovereignty.
- Human rights experts say the use of lethal force at sea is permissible only as a last resort against an imminent threat to life.
The US campaign against alleged drug-trafficking vessels marks a sharp escalation of military operations in the hemisphere, drawing international scrutiny over the legality of using force outside wartime contexts.
Source & Attribution
UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights statement; BBC News; Reuters; official US government briefings.
