Congressional Caribbean Caucus condemns Trump’s illegal military strikes in the Caribbean
WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The co-chairs of the Caribbean Caucus in the United States House of Representatives have strongly condemned what they describe as illegal and unilateral US military air strikes ordered by the Trump administration against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Caribbean-American congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who also chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, and California congresswoman Maxine Waters issued the joint statement on Friday.
They accused the administration of adopting a “kill first, ask questions never” approach and said the actions undermine US commitments to international law, damage relations with Caribbean partners and risk civilian casualties.
“Enough is enough,” they said, calling for the strikes to end immediately and for transparency on the operations.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also denounced the airstrikes, warning they contravene international human rights law. He said more than 60 people have reportedly been killed since early September and urged Washington to halt what he called “unacceptable” operations and prevent “extrajudicial killings”.
While the administration has defended the operations as counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts, Türk rejected that justification, saying drug enforcement is a law enforcement function governed by strict limits on lethal force. He called for independent investigations into the reported attacks.
International rights watchdog Amnesty International this week separately described the strikes as “murder” and called on the US Congress to intervene and stop the operations. Amnesty noted US officials have publicly confirmed 13 strikes to date — eight in the Caribbean and five in the Pacific — and argued the United States is not engaged in any armed conflict in the region that would legally justify such military force.
Amnesty officials said the administration has not provided evidence that the individuals targeted posed imminent threats to life, nor shown that the vessels could not have been intercepted and boarded.
