U.S. Military Strikes in Caribbean and Pacific Draw Legal Scrutiny

The U.S. military has reported conducting a series of strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean as part of an initiative designated Operation Southern Spear. According to figures provided by U.S. Southern Command, this campaign has resulted in the destruction of 51 vessels and the deaths of 171 individuals.

The U.S. administration has stated that the targets are members of criminal organizations, though specific groups have not been publicly named. The operations have drawn scrutiny from some legal experts and members of Congress who question their legality under international law.

"There's a danger that these lawless killings just become background noise." — Brian Finucane, former State Department lawyer

Recent Incidents

Three strikes were reported between April 11 and April 13.

April 11: U.S. forces conducted two strikes in the Pacific Ocean.

• The first strike resulted in two fatalities and left one vessel wrecked. Search efforts for a potential survivor were later suspended.
• The second strike that day resulted in three fatalities.

April 13: A strike in the Eastern Pacific resulted in two fatalities.

Following the April 13 strike, U.S. Southern Command alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to a person in distress. The Coast Guard initiated search efforts, which involved a French-flagged cargo ship (MV Marius) and a U.S.-flagged research vessel (RV Sikuliaq). The search was suspended on April 15 after no survivors or debris were found.

Operational Context and Official Statements

• U.S. officials have stated the operations target transnational criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking.
• Joseph Humire, the acting assistant secretary of war for homeland defense and Americas security affairs, announced a joint U.S.-Ecuador military effort along the Colombia-Ecuador border, referred to as "Operation Total Extermination."
• Some legal experts and members of Congress from both major U.S. political parties have stated that the strikes constitute illegal, extrajudicial killings, arguing that international law prohibits deliberately targeting civilians who do not pose an imminent threat.
• Critics have noted that the campaign represents a departure from previous U.S. counter-narcotics practices, which typically involved law enforcement detention and criminal prosecution.

Search and Rescue Operations

Search efforts for survivors following strikes have rarely resulted in rescues.

A notable exception occurred after a March 19 strike, where the Coast Guard rescued one survivor. Costa Rican authorities identified two deceased individuals from that incident as Ecuadoran citizens. The injured survivor, identified as Colombian national José David Torres Hurtado, remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Reporting indicates that after a December 30 strike, a Coast Guard plane did not head toward the site for almost two days. That incident reportedly resulted in 11 fatalities.

A previously reported incident from September 2025 involved a follow-up attack ordered on survivors clinging to wreckage, which resulted in their deaths.

International and Congressional Engagement

• According to reports, the U.S. State Department has engaged with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding its focus on the strike campaign.
• Reports state that the Trump administration has not provided definitive public evidence linking the targeted vessels to drug trafficking.
• In January, a federal lawsuit was filed against the U.S. government on behalf of families of two men from Trinidad killed in an October strike, alleging the killings lacked legal justification.
• The American Civil Liberties Union stated in December that investigations indicated some of those killed were fishermen.
• U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs wrote to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressing concern about the killings and noting that the identities of most victims remain unknown.
• The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, has stated that the strikes raise concerns regarding international law and may constitute extrajudicial killings.