UN human rights officials have voiced serious concerns regarding the United States' "repeated and systematic lethal attacks" on vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, suggesting that these actions could qualify as war crimes under international maritime law.

The controversy centers around 15 US-led strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels in international waters since early September, which have resulted in 64 deaths and only three survivors. According to the UN experts, these strikes may represent unlawful killings as they lacked a "judicial or legal process allowing due process of law," and there was no attempt to apprehend the individuals or to substantiate their status as lawful targets.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, describing them as a necessary response to the threat posed by "extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels" labeled as terrorist organizations. Hegseth stated that these cartels have been more lethal to Americans than Al-Qaeda, justifying the aggressive approach as self-defense. He expressed that the strikes were necessary as regional countries are either unable or unwilling to manage the threat themselves.

However, the legal justification for these actions is under scrutiny. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which the US follows though has not ratified, maintains the "freedom of the high seas" for peaceful purposes. Moreover, while President Trump has depicted the strikes as part of an "armed conflict" with cartels, thus classifying cartel members as enemy combatants, this interpretation and the overall legality of the strikes without congressional approval are contested by numerous legal experts.

The UN experts have urged the US government to halt these strikes immediately and initiate a thorough investigation into the incidents. They emphasize the need for actions to be proportionate and necessary under international law, particularly highlighting the principles of self-defense as outlined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

This situation raises profound questions about the intersection of international law, national security, and human rights, pointing to a complex debate over the legality and morality of using lethal force in international waters against non-state actors. The global community watches closely as the US responds to these allegations and reevaluates its strategies in combating international narcotics trafficking.