Executive Summary
- The family of Alejandro Carranza Medina has filed a complaint with the IACHR against the US government over his death.
- The victim was killed during a US military anti-drug operation in the Caribbean; his family insists he was a fisherman.
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes as necessary measures against “narco-terrorists.”
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the operations, labeling them “extrajudicial executions.”
The family of Alejandro Carranza Medina, a 42-year-old Colombian national, has filed a formal complaint against the United States with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) following his death during a U.S. military operation in the Caribbean. The legal action alleges that Carranza Medina was a civilian fisherman wrongfully targeted in an aggressive anti-drug campaign, disputing U.S. claims that the vessel was involved in narcotics trafficking.
According to the complaint filed by the victim’s relatives, Carranza Medina was killed when U.S. forces attacked his boat. The family maintains he was fishing for sierra, tuna, and snapper in open waters and had no involvement in criminal activity. “We know that Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza Medina and the murder of all those on such boats,” the text of the complaint asserts, arguing that the directives were issued without confirmation of the occupants’ identities.
U.S. defense officials have framed recent operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific as necessary strikes against drug trafficking routes originating from Venezuela. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the United States has “only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean.” Hegseth noted that these operations are conducted under the authority of President Trump. Officials acknowledge that over 80 individuals have been killed in these interdictions, though Washington has not publicly released evidence confirming the presence of narcotics on the specific vessels destroyed.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly condemned the incidents, characterizing the U.S. attacks as “extrajudicial executions.” Petro pledged government support for Carranza Medina’s family, who are represented by U.S. human rights attorney Dan Kovalik. The victim’s wife, Katerine Hernandez, told reporters, “He had no ties to drug trafficking, and his daily activity was fishing. Why did they just take his life like that?”
Diplomatic and Legal Implications
The filing of this complaint with the IACHR marks a significant escalation in the diplomatic tension surrounding U.S. maritime counter-narcotics strategies. The case calls into question the rules of engagement utilized by military forces in international waters and the verification processes required before lethal force is deployed against civilian-style vessels. As allegations of “extrajudicial executions” gain traction with foreign heads of state, the outcome of this inquiry could establish critical precedents regarding state sovereignty and human rights protections in the context of the global war on drugs. It is important to note that all individuals, including those targeted in these operations, are presumed innocent of criminal activity until proven guilty in a court of law.
