• UN High Commissioner Volker Türk criticizes US military strikes as "unacceptable".
• Over 60 fatalities recorded since the strikes began in early September.
• The UN calls for investigations into the strikes due to violations of international law.
• US President Trump justified the strikes as necessary anti-drug measures.
• The attacks have sparked divisive reactions among regional governments.

The United Nations has condemned recent U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, alleging drug trafficking, describing these acts as "unacceptable" and a breach of international law. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, asserted that these actions must cease immediately and called for an investigation given their mounting human cost. He emphasized the need for the U.S. to prevent any extrajudicial killings aboard these boats, whatever their alleged criminal activities might be, according to Indiatimes and ABC News.

In alignment with this stance, U.N. spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani highlighted that these airstrikes by the United States violate international human rights law. Türk stated that under international law, lethal force is only permissible against individuals posing an imminent threat to life. He noted that, based on the limited information disclosed by U.S. authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats justified such deadly force. The cumulative death toll from these operations has reportedly exceeded 60 since they commenced in early September, according to CBS News and BBC.

President Donald Trump has defended the strikes as crucial in the fight against drug trafficking and maintaining national security, characterizing them as "necessary" counter-terrorism measures. However, the U.S. campaign has drawn substantial criticism, particularly from regional neighbors, reflecting a fragmented perspective on its legality and efficacy. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the U.S. military conducted its latest strike just recently, where four individuals were killed, marking the 14th military engagement since the operation's inception. "These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable," reiterated Shamdasani, emphasizing the need for careful limits on the use of lethal force during such operations, according to HuffPost and Los Angeles Times.

Moreover, Turkish's remarks emphasized that drug trafficking should be addressed through law enforcement methods, not military strikes, which tend to escalate violence instead of resolving the underlying issues. Internationally, the legality of these strikes has raised red flags, with various governments, including Mexico's, voicing their disagreement. The Mexican President has urged for the respect of all international treaties, denouncing the U.S. actions as counterproductive to collaborative efforts against drug trafficking. The situation exemplifies the complex dynamics of international law that govern military engagement in such contexts, as noted in SCMP and Al Jazeera.