The United Nations human rights expert has described the US attacks in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean on the suspicion of drug trafficking as a violation of international law and has shown the possibility of being included in the category of crimes against humanity.

According to the report issued by the United Nations Special Representative for Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, Ben Sol, between September 2025 and August 2026, the US targeted 68 boats in international waters, in which at least 223 people were killed.

According to the report, the US called these attacks a defensive action against ‘drug terrorists’, while President Donald Trump has told Congress that these actions reflect an armed conflict with organizations designated as terrorists.

The United Nations report has rejected the US position and said that the US military attacks are a violation of international law and the right to life and possibly fall into the category of crimes against humanity.

The report states that the alleged drug trafficking does not meet the legal definition of an armed attack, so the US does not have the right to use force and defend itself on that basis.

Less lethal alternatives, including intercepting the boats, were available, the report said, while the US strikes also violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which stipulates that lethal force may only be used as a last resort in the event of an immediate threat.

The UN expert has also called for an investigation into the deaths in the US attacks, action against those responsible, political and military leadership and compensation for the families of the victims.

The report also questioned the effectiveness of US actions in curbing drug trafficking.

According to the report, cocaine seizures at the US border have not decreased significantly, while large quantities of cocaine in the region are transported by container ships rather than small boats.

The report said the attacks also had no significant impact on the trafficking of fentanyl and other opioids, which are among the leading causes of drug-related deaths in the United States.

According to the UN expert, killing low-level suspects could also undermine efforts to dismantle large drug networks and prosecute their leaders.

According to the report, by the middle of 2026, about 4.7 billion dollars had been spent on these military operations.