United Nations experts have called on the United States to immediately end what they described as unlawful killings at sea, following a year-long campaign of US air strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean that has reportedly left at least 223 people dead.

According to the UN experts, the US military has attacked at least 68 vessels in international waters since September 2, 2025, with many of the strikes reportedly killing everyone on board. Washington has claimed that the targeted vessels were involved in drug trafficking or linked to groups designated as terrorist organizations under US law.

The UN experts strongly condemned the operations, warning that allegations of criminal activity do not give governments the right to summarily take people's lives.

“These systematic killings gravely violate the fundamental obligation to respect the right to life,” the experts said, stressing that international law does not permit governments to execute alleged criminals at sea without due legal process.

The experts called for all alleged violations of the right to life to be investigated promptly, independently, impartially and transparently. They also demanded that those responsible—including members of military and civilian chains of command—be held accountable.

They further said victims and their families are entitled to full reparations, including compensation and guarantees that such killings will not be repeated.

Washington Defends Military Campaign

The White House has rejected allegations that the strikes are unlawful. President Donald Trump has declared that the United States is engaged in an armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, arguing that the targeted vessels were involved in transporting narcotics toward the United States.

The administration has maintained that the military operations are lawful under both US and international law and has denied issuing orders authorizing illegal killings.

The campaign began with a US strike against a vessel off the coast of Venezuela that reportedly killed 11 people. Reports indicated that two people initially survived the attack but were subsequently killed in a second strike, commonly referred to as a “double tap.” The US government has denied authorizing any unlawful action.

Since the initial operation, the pace of US attacks in the Eastern Pacific has reportedly increased, averaging around six strikes per month.

Amnesty International Calls for Accountability

Amnesty International has also urged governments across the region and the wider international community to take action against the US campaign.

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said responsibility should not rest solely with US authorities and called for stronger action from governments in the region and the Organization of American States.

“The international community must speak out firmly against these murders,” Piquer said, describing the campaign as a serious threat to human rights and respect for international law.

She also called on governments to suspend intelligence-sharing arrangements that could facilitate the operations and to halt export licenses for defense equipment that could be used in the strikes.

The UN experts' intervention comes amid growing international scrutiny of Washington's military campaign at sea, with rights organizations warning that counter-narcotics operations cannot override fundamental protections under international human rights law. (ILKHA)