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🇧🇪 Belgium /Conflict & Security

US military strike kills two in Caribbean Sea; rights groups condemn actions

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the Caribbean Sea, killing two individuals identified as "narco-terrorists."
  • The strike targeted a vessel operated by "designated terrorist organizations" transiting known drug-trafficking routes.
  • The incident has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who label such actions as "extrajudicial killings" and violations of international law.

The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced it carried out a "lethal kinetic strike" in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of two individuals described as "narco-terrorists." The operation targeted a vessel believed to be operated by "designated terrorist organizations" and was conducted under the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis L Donovan.

confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations

— U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)Describing the intelligence assessment that led to the lethal kinetic strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea.

SOUTHCOM stated that Joint Task Force Southern Spear's intelligence confirmed the vessel was engaged in narco-trafficking activities along established routes. Following the strike, six male survivors were reported, and the U.S. Coast Guard was notified to initiate search and rescue operations. No U.S. military personnel were harmed during the engagement.

No US military forces were harmed

— U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)Reporting on the outcome of the strike in the Caribbean Sea.

This strike is part of a broader pattern of U.S. military actions against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific oceans. Since September, the Trump administration has reportedly conducted over 36 strikes, resulting in the deaths of more than 163 individuals labeled as "narco-terrorists." The U.S. military claims these operations are aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks.

highlights a sustained pattern of unlawful use of lethal force outside any context of armed conflict, amounting to extrajudicial executions

— Human Rights WatchCondemning the U.S. military strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea.

However, these actions have faced significant criticism. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have condemned the strikes. Human Rights Watch described them as an "unlawful use of lethal force outside any context of armed conflict, amounting to extrajudicial executions." The ACLU is involved in lawsuits on behalf of families whose relatives were killed in previous strikes, alleging wrongful death and extrajudicial killing. Critics argue that international law distinguishes between armed conflict and law enforcement, and that the deliberate use of lethal force is only permissible when strictly necessary to protect life, outside of declared conflict zones.

These strikes aren’t one-off incidents, they’re part of a pattern of using military force where the law does not permit it, over and over again

— Sarah YagerWashington director at Human Rights Watch, commenting on the pattern of U.S. military strikes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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