US Southern Command Faces Backlash Over Ongoing Maritime Bombings

Ben Saul, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, has urged global governments to end their silence regarding what he characterizes as a state-sanctioned killing spree. While the Trump administration maintains these operations target narco-terrorists to disrupt fentanyl trafficking, critics point to a lack of evidence and the repeated inclusion of civilians, including fishermen, among the casualties. Official reports from the State Department indicate that the primary flow of illicit fentanyl enters through the southern land border, casting further doubt on the efficacy of the maritime bombing strategy.

The military campaign, directed by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has drawn sharp condemnation from figures such as French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Legal advocates argue that because the US is not in an officially declared armed conflict with drug cartels, the strikes constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. With the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights scheduled to appear in federal court on June 24, legal teams are pushing for the disclosure of a secret Justice Department memo that allegedly provides the executive branch with the authority to carry out these operations at sea.