The family of Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza has filed a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging that the United States government illegally killed him in a military strike. The attack occurred in the Caribbean on September 15, according to the petition filed on Tuesday, which claims the strike was ordered without knowing the identities of those targeted, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to ABC.
According to the petition, Carranza’s lawyer, Dan Kovalik, stated that the family “has no recourse to adequate and effective remedies in Colombia to obtain redress for the injuries they have suffered due to the actions of the United States.” The complaint emphasizes that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the bombing of boats like Carranza’s, which resulted in deaths, despite admitting that the identities of those on board were unknown.
Although the Inter-American Commission can investigate and issue findings, any ruling it makes would not be legally binding in the United States. A Pentagon spokesperson told ABC News that the department does not comment on pending litigation.
The complaint follows accusations by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who described the strike as an illegal act of murder. Petro noted that Alejandro Carranza was an ordinary fisherman with no ties to the drug trade and that his boat was adrift with a distress signal activated due to engine failure. “We await explanations from the U.S. government,” Petro said on social media.
Three people were reportedly killed in the September 15 strike, which President Donald Trump claimed targeted a boat transporting illegal drugs from Venezuela. Trump said the operation left “big bags of cocaine and fentanyl” floating in the ocean.
Since September, Trump and Hegseth have authorized over 20 military strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The administration claims the boats were smuggling drugs, although evidence remains limited. Officials say the campaign has killed more than 80 people.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has maintained that the strikes were legal and asserts the military had evidence of drug trafficking. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers from both parties have questioned the legality of the strikes and whether the president has the constitutional authority to order them.
Reports indicate that in the first strike on September 2, survivors from the initial attack were later killed in a subsequent strike. Democrats suggest this could constitute a war crime, as the laws of war require care for wounded and shipwrecked individuals.
Hegseth defended the actions, stating he observed the first strike but did not witness the second strike or the survivors. He added that the admiral responsible for the follow-up attack “made the right call,” emphasizing that all strikes were considered legal under U.S. military procedures.
Earlier we wrote that Trump Administration Fires 8 NYC Immigration Judges Amid Discrimination Lawsuit Filing.
