Washington, DC, December 19, 2025 – The United States has now reportedly killed at least 103 civilians in unlawful strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) condemns these extrajudicial executions, which occur against civilian drug trafficking suspects outside any recognized armed conflict.
These are extrajudicial killings or murder, plain and simple,
said Annie Shiel, CIVIC’s US Director.
When someone is accused of a crime outside of armed conflict, they get a trial, not a summary execution. It is devastating that over 100 civilians have now been targeted and killed in these strikes. Congress must act to end these strikes and rebuff the precedent that the government can execute anyone accused of a crime without due process.
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. The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights and three UN Special Rapporteurs have affirmed that the airstrikes constitute extrajudicial killings. As the campaign continues and expands, experts have assessed that the murders may amount to crimes against humanity.
The unlawful strikes accompany US threats to attack Venezuelan territory, risking a war that would be devastating for civilians and could spill over across the region.
CIVIC applauds the efforts of US legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives to bring the extrajudicial killing campaign to an end and prevent US war in Latin America. Congress should refuse to fund continued extrajudicial killings and use its authority to halt the unlawful airstrikes in the Caribbean and Pacific. Congress should also compel transparency about the strikes, who was killed, and their purported legal basis, and demand accountability for the civilian victims and survivors of these strikes.
US allies and partners should vocally oppose the campaign and end all foreign assistance that contributes to these unlawful killings.
For additional information or media inquiries, please contact:
- CIVIC’s Global Media Team: [email protected]
Spokespersons available for interviews in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
