Colombia Accuses US of ‘Murder’ After Strike on Boat in Territorial Waters
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the United States of committing “murder” and violating his country’s sovereignty following a military strike on a boat in Colombian territorial waters on September 15th.
Petro stated on social media that the vessel, a Colombian fishing boat, was adrift with a distress signal activated due to engine failure when it was struck. He alleges that fisherman Alejandro Carranza, who was aboard, had no connection to the drug trade. “US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters,” Petro wrote. This incident raises concerns about the extent of US anti-narcotics operations in international waters and the potential for civilian casualties.
The accusation follows a statement by former President Donald Trump, who claimed US forces destroyed a “drug-carrying submarine” on Thursday, resulting in two deaths. Trump asserted the vessel was “loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics,” and defended the ongoing strikes as a means of curbing drug trafficking from Latin America. He further stated that two survivors, identified as being from Ecuador and Colombia, were transferred to a US Navy ship. The US has conducted at least six similar strikes in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks, with previous incidents resulting in at least 27 fatalities, according to US administration figures. For more information on the challenges of drug interdiction, see the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
UN-appointed human rights experts have characterized the US strikes as “extrajudicial executions.” The use of narco-subs – often homemade vessels constructed from fiberglass and plywood – has increased as a method for transporting drugs undetected. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of attempting to recolonize his country amid escalating tensions and threats of covert operations. The State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment, but is expected to address the allegations in the coming days.
