Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement March 31 condemning the "unlawful use of lethal force outside any context of armed conflict" by the US military over the past recent months. The statement said that the deadly US strikes on vessels thought to be carrying illegal drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific amount to "extrajudicial executions."

HRW said international law makes a clear distinction between areas where use of lethal force is lawful, explaining:

Outside of armed conflict, the deliberate, lethal use of force is only lawful when strictly necessary to protect life. Suspected criminals are not otherwise lawful targets for these deliberately lethal US strikes, and no information has been released to the public showing that any of the people targeted and killed posed an imminent threat to the life of any person.

The statement came in response to an announcement from the Pentagon's Southern Command on March 25 that the US carried out a “lethal kinetic strike” on a boat allegedly engaged in drug trafficking. The strike killed three individuals, and was the 47th such strike the US has carried out on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September 2025, resulting in 163 total deaths.

The US has persistently built up military assets in the Caribbean amid recent tension with Venezuela, culminating in January’s Pentagon raid on Caracas in which President Nicolás Maduro was captured and brought to the US to stand trial. President Donald Trump and other US officials argue that the continuing strikes on small vessels have saved thousands from overdose deaths, but commentators and human rights organizations have noted the lack of evidence backing these claims.

From JURIST, April 2. Used with permission. Internal links added.