UN. US war on “narco-terrorists” violates the right to life, warn UN experts after deadly vessel strike
UN. US war on “narco-terrorists” violates the right to life, warn UN experts after deadly vessel strike
GENEVA – UN experts* today condemned the extrajudicial execution by the United States of 11 people when it sank a civilian vessel in the Caribbean Sea on 2 September 2025, and three people on another vessel on 15 September.
“International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers,” the experts said. “Criminal activities should be disrupted, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law, including through international cooperation.”
On 2 September 2025, the President of the United States announced a “kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua narco-terrorists” aboard a vessel in international waters, allegedly transporting illegal narcotics to the U.S., killing 11 people. The Secretary of State of the United States indicated the U.S. could have intercepted the vessel but chose to destroy it to deter traffickers. The U.S. had previously designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organisation. (United Nations, Office of The High Commissioner of Human Rights, 16.09.2025)