Colombian family lodges human rights complaint regarding U.S. strike on boat

Dec. 3 Relatives of a Colombian fisherman have submitted a formal complaint to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, following his death in a U.S. military strike targeting a vessel in the Caribbean. U.S. officials have described the operation as part of broader efforts against international drug trafficking networks.

The petition represents Alejandro Carranza, who was killed on Sept. 15 when a U.S. airstrike hit a boat off the Colombian coast. The Inter-American Commission is responsible for monitoring, investigating, and promoting human rights throughout the Americas. It can review individual complaints, issue precautionary measures for at-risk individuals, conduct country inspections, release reports, and refer cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, although it does not itself issue binding rulings.

If the case moves forward, the United States does not recognize the court's jurisdiction. Although the U.S. signed the American Convention on Human Rights in 1977, it never ratified it.

The complaint is backed by human-rights lawyer Daniel Kovalik, who has previously represented Colombian President Gustavo Petro in international cases. Kovalik called for a thorough investigation, reparations, and a review of the legality of the military operations. The filing describes the strike that sank Carranzas boat as an "extrajudicial execution," attributing direct responsibility to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with alleged approval from former President Donald Trump.

According to the petition, the United States has conducted over 20 strikes since early September against vessels suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in more than 80 deaths and only three survivors. Washington maintains that these actions comply with the Law of Armed Conflict and target criminal organizations that pose threats to U.S. security.

Carranzas family emphasized that the fisherman was performing his regular work, and his boat had issued a distress signal before the strike. Video footage reportedly shows the vessel engulfed in flames following the missile attack. The family insists Carranza had no connections to drug-trafficking networks.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on Oct. 8 that a new war theater has emerged in the Caribbean, noting that the latest targeted boat was Colombian, with citizens on board, and urged families to file complaints. In early November, Petro shared a photo of himself meeting Carranzas children.

He described the family as "very poor, living in the most impoverished neighborhood of Santa Marta" and affirmed they were neither terrorists nor drug traffickers. The complaint highlights that Hegseth ordered strikes without knowledge of the identities of those aboard, while Trump justified the operations as part of an anti-drug strategy in the region.

The Inter-American Commission issued a statement expressing concern over extraterritorial lethal force and emphasized that all states must uphold the right to life and due process, even during operations outside their borders. It urged the U.S. to avoid using lethal force in public-security measures, ensure compliance with international human-rights standards, and conduct prompt, impartial investigations into all deaths and detentions, while implementing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Author: Ethan Caldwell