• The statement came from Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at a briefing in Geneva on October 31 2025. He pressed for an independent investigation of the strikes. 

• According to the UN, the strikes were conducted outside of any recognised armed conflict, and lethal force must only be used as a last resort. The operations resulted in at least 61 deaths since early September, according to US sources. 

• The Trump administration defends the campaign as crucial to halting narcotics entering the United States, framing it as part of the fight against “narco-terrorism”. 

• Regional states including Colombia have voiced concern that the strikes violate sovereignty and international law. 

Context & implications:

• The strikes mark a sharp escalation of the US approach to maritime drug-trafficking, moving beyond conventional interdiction into lethal force across international waters. Analysts and the UN contend this blurs the line between law enforcement and armed conflict. 

• The UN’s public condemnation raises questions about legal oversight, accountability and wider diplomatic consequences in Latin America. It may further strain U.S. relations with nations like Colombia and Venezuela.

• For media coverage: this story sits at the intersection of US foreign-policy, human-rights law and regional security dynamics; it is broadly global in scope.

What to watch:

• Whether the UN launches a formal inquiry into the strikes and if any member states join.

• Washington’s official response: whether the US offers transparency on target selection, legal basis and casualty figures.

• Regional reaction: possible escalation in diplomatic protests, litigation by affected nations, or shifts in US-Latin America cooperation on drug-trafficking.