The family of a Colombian man killed in an alleged US attack in the Caribbean has filed what is believed to be the first complaint against such an attack with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
The petition, filed Tuesday by U.S. human rights lawyer Dan Kovalik, alleges that the U.S. rammed Alejandro Carranza’s boat off the coast of Colombia on September 15, killing him.
It alleges that the United States violated Carranza’s human rights and carried out an extrajudicial killing. Kovarik told CNN he wants compensation for the families and an end to such killings, but did not elaborate on how his demands would be met.
“These killings violate international law, and they violate U.S. law. We want to stop this, and we think this is at least a first step toward that.”
The complaint names U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as the culprit, saying he is “responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like Alejandro Carranza Medina’s and the killing of everyone aboard those boats.” It also claims that Hegseth’s actions were “approved” by US President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, and CNN has reached out to the White House.
Since early September, the United States has conducted at least 22 airstrikes against suspected drug-trafficking ships in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 83 people.
The United States has sought to legally justify the airstrike by claiming the ship was carrying individuals associated with about two dozen drug cartels involved in armed conflict with the United States. The White House has repeatedly said the administration’s actions are “fully compliant with the law of armed conflict,” an area of international law aimed at preventing attacks on civilians.
President Trump claimed that the September 15th airstrike killed three “narco-terrorists from Venezuela” who were transporting drugs to the United States.
But Kovarik said Carranza, a Colombian national, was simply fishing for marlin and tuna when he was killed in a strike. “That’s what he did. That was his calling, his calling.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro previously said Carranza was a lifelong fisherman with no connection to the drug trade and that his boat had issued a distress call due to engine damage. Mr Petro later acknowledged that Mr Carranza may have accepted money to transport contraband due to his financial situation, but said: “His actions were in no way worthy of the death penalty.”
Petro announced Monday that Kovarik had launched a “judicial defense” for Carranza’s family, saying the country should convene a commission of Colombian lawyers to investigate what he deemed “crimes” in the Caribbean.
Kovarik said the petition filed Tuesday on behalf of Carranza’s wife and children is the first formal complaint against U.S. aggression in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, and he believes more complaints will follow.
“That’s the goal. That’s one of our goals. We’re going to bring justice to these people,” he told CNN.
The IACHR states on its website that victims of human rights violations can receive help through petitions submitted to the commission. If the IACHR accepts the petition, it will recommend that the country responsible for the violation “prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, investigate the facts and make reparations.”
CNN has reached out to the IACHR, Carranza’s family and the Colombian government for more information.
The petition was filed on the same day that the IACHR issued a statement expressing concern over the US airstrikes.
The committee urges the United States to “ensure that all security operations, including those conducted across borders, are consistent with international human rights obligations, particularly with regard to the protection of the right to life, the use of force, due process guarantees, and accountability mechanisms.”
Kovarik was also hired as Petro’s chief executive on October 24, when the company was sanctioned by the United States for being involved in the global illegal drug trade. Peter denies the allegations.
