Trump and Hegseth Hit With First Human Rights Complaint for Deadly Extrajudicial Strikes in the Caribbean

According to the Guardian, the family of Colombian citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina has filed a detailed petition with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights alleging that the United States unlawfully killed Carranza in a September 15 airstrike. The filing states that the U.S. military bombed his fishing boat off the Colombian coast without knowing who was on board and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered such strikes while acknowledging he did not know the identities of those targeted.

The complaint also asserts that President Donald Trump endorsed these actions. Carranza, a 42 year old fisherman, was reportedly killed in the second strike of the Trump administration’s campaign against suspected drug boats, a campaign that has included 21 publicly disclosed attacks. The family contests the administration’s claim that the victims were Venezuelan narcoterrorists and seeks both redress and an order halting further strikes.

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said he watched the initial September 2nd strike on an alleged drug boat off Venezuela but left before the follow up decision, adding that Admiral Frank Bradley had full authority and made the right call.

Trump said countries producing or selling drugs to the United States are subject to attack and that future strikes will move from sea targets to land targets.

https://aaronparnas.substack.com/p/news-trump-and-hegseth-hit-with-first