The UN rapporteur Ben Saul denounced before the Inter-American Commission that the United States commits extrajudicial executions in its attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. According to his report, these operations initiated under Trump have caused more than 150 deaths without prior warning or attempt at capture. Relatives of the victims assure that the vessels had no links to drug trafficking.
Maritime surveillance technology and the threshold for lethal use 🛰️
These operations rely on advanced surveillance systems: satellites, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and airborne radars. The controversy lies in the decision-making process. Intelligence data, often classified, is used to authorize attacks with precision weaponry from aircraft or helicopters. The technical-legal debate centers on the reliability of that data to justify lethal force without an observable judicial process.
Express course: From war on drugs to war on due process ⚖️
It seems someone rewrote the procedure manual. First, a mobile target is identified in international waters, where jurisdiction is diffuse. Then, the warning and capture part is skipped, which is usually complicated. It goes straight to the elimination chapter based on intelligence that the public will never see. It's a model of operational efficiency, if your goal is to avoid the tedious procedures of a trial. A direct approach, though questioned by details like the right to life.