UN Human Rights Experts Condemn U.S. Strikes on Venezuelan Boats as 'Extrajudicial Executions'

United Nations human rights experts have condemned recent U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan vessels, calling them "extrajudicial executions" in violation of international law. The operations, ordered by President Donald Trump, killed at least 14 people this month, according to both U.S. and UN accounts.

"International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers," three independent UN experts said in a statement on Tuesday. The experts, who report to the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations, stressed that lethal force is only lawful in situations of personal or immediate defense against an imminent threat to life.

The experts pointed to two incidents: the destruction of a boat on September 2 that killed 11 people and a second strike on September 15 that killed three more. They said the attacks violated both the right to life and the international law of the sea, which prohibits unprovoked attacks on civilian vessels and requires that interceptions be conducted through law enforcement, not military force.

"Criminal activities should be disrupted, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law, including through international cooperation," added the expert.

Trump has claimed that three Venezuelan boats in total have been "knocked off" by U.S. forces, though he has not clarified the details of the third. His administration has said the targeted vessels were linked to the Tren de Aragua criminal group, which the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

The UN experts rejected the U.S. justification, saying there was "no evidence that this group is committing an armed attack against the U.S. that would allow the U.S. to use military force against it in national self-defence." They urged Washington to investigate those responsible, prosecute perpetrators "no matter how senior in government," and provide reparations to victims' families.

The strikes come amid a major U.S. naval build-up in the Caribbean, which includes warships, submarines, and fighter jets. Administration officials have described the deployments as part of counter-narcotics operations, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called them acts of aggression aimed at regime change.

The UN experts warned that the U.S. actions amount to a "lawless 'war on narco-terrorism'" and urged Washington to step back. "International law does not permit the unilateral use of force abroad to fight terrorism or drug trafficking," they said.