Responding to the death toll reaching 150 from U.S. air strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, Amnesty International USA’s National Director for Government Relations, Amanda Klasing, said:
“The U.S. military has reached a grim, shameful milestone by announcing 3 more killings in the Caribbean, bringing the total dead to 150. These deaths are the latest killings in what, under both domestic and international law, can sadly be understood as dozens of murders conducted at sea with complete impunity.
“It is well past time for Congress to act to stop these killings. Since the U.S. military started its air strike campaign last September, some lawmakers have tried to take legislative action to stop them, but as a whole Congress has abdicated its duty to hold this administration to account for its actions. Congress must work together to exercise its oversight role. Legislators must do everything in their power to halt these air strikes and seek accountability for the policies and actions that have led to these murders.
“Regardless of what dubious cover a Department of Justice analysis may provide, these killings amount to extrajudicial executions, a form of murder. Intercepting purported drug boats is a law enforcement operation, subject to policing standards derived from international human rights law, which holds that all people have the rights to life and to a fair trial and only allows states to use lethal force when an imminent threat to life exists and less extreme means, like capture, are insufficient.
“A state intentionally killing someone outside those circumstances is committing an extrajudicial execution, no matter what crime the person is alleged to have committed. These strikes must stop, and perpetrators, including high-ranking officials, must be held to account.”
Background
Since September 2, 2025, the U.S. military has undertaken a series of air strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific allegedly targeting drug cartels, who White House officials refer to as “narco-terrorists.” Thus far, the administration has not shown any evidence for its claims against the people it has killed.
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