Key facts
- The US military conducted a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea.
- Four people were killed in the strike.
- The US Southern Command identified the deceased as "narco-terrorists."
- The US military cited confirmed intelligence of the vessel's narco-trafficking involvement.
- Since September 2025, US strikes on similar vessels have killed over 220 people.
- Human rights experts have called these strikes unlawful extrajudicial killings.
The US military announced on Sunday that it had carried out a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of four individuals. The US Southern Command stated that the strike targeted a "go-fast vessel" operating on known narco-trafficking routes and that "confirmed intelligence" indicated its involvement in such activities.
These strikes are part of a broader US effort against what it terms "narco-terrorists." Since September 2025, similar operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have led to over 220 fatalities. However, the legality and nature of these strikes have been heavily criticized by human rights experts and organizations. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and independent UN experts have labeled these actions as unlawful extrajudicial killings. Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, has stated there are "reasonable grounds to believe" these attacks could constitute crimes against humanity. The American Civil Liberties Union has dismissed the US administration's justifications as "unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims."