Washington, DC, April 23, 2026 – 125 organizations released an open call to all States to end support for US extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, and reminding States that continuing to provide support could expose them to legal responsibility.
Signatories include humanitarian, human rights, peacebuilding, Latin America policy, faith-based, drug policy, and veterans’ organizations. They include global organizations as well as groups from Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Iraq, Ireland, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Since September 2025, the US military has killed over 175 people aboard small vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The identities of most victims remain unknown, and there is no evidence that they posed any imminent threat to individuals or to the United States. Legal experts, civil society, former US government lawyers, and former and current US servicemembers agree: the US is committing extrajudicial killings under international law. Third States can incur legal responsibility for aiding or assisting another State in their commission of internationally wrongful acts, including extrajudicial killings and crimes against humanity.
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An open call to all States to stop facilitating extrajudicial killings
We, the undersigned organizations, call on all States to immediately cease or refrain from supporting US extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Since September 2025, the United States military has killed more than 175 people aboard small vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The identities of most victims remain unknown, and there is no evidence that they posed any imminent threat to individuals or to the United States. Nevertheless, the Trump administration has signaled that these unlawful attacks will continue and in fact escalate, including through land strikes.
Legal experts, civil society, former US government lawyers, and former and current US servicemembers agree: the US is committing extrajudicial killings under international law. The right to life and due process are fundamental principles of international law. These strikes—conducted outside of armed conflict, without a charge or trial, and against individuals merely accused of engaging in drug trafficking, which does not constitute an imminent threat or armed attack—amount to clear violations of these rights.
Third States can incur legal responsibility for aiding or assisting another State in their commission of internationally wrongful acts, including extrajudicial killings and crimes against humanity. Forms of cooperation such as intelligence sharing, access to military bases, and the provision of logistical support may meet the threshold for aiding and assisting where they facilitate the identification, tracking, and targeting of vessels. Given the public nature of these strikes and the glaring lack of a lawful justification, States cannot plausibly claim ignorance of the risks associated with their support.
The consequences of the United States’ extrajudicial killings are being felt in communities across the region. Families awaiting the return of their loved ones may never know what happened to them and have no access to recourse. Coastal communities have witnessed human remains washing up on shore and fear for their lives when they trade and fish, sowing psychological trauma and undermining livelihoods.
All States must immediately cease or refrain from providing any assistance that could contribute to these unlawful killings. Failure to do so facilitates the continuation of this lawless campaign, undermines the rule of law, and risks incurring legal responsibility under international law.
