The family of a Colombian fisherman who was killed in a US airstrike in the Caribbean has filed a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The petition, submitted on Tuesday by US human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, alleges that Alejandro Carranza was killed in a US strike targeting his boat off the coast of Colombia on September 15.
Kovalik told CNN that Carranza’s family is seeking both compensation and an end to such attacks. “These killings violate international law. They violate US law. We want them to stop, and this is a step toward that happening,” he said. The complaint names US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as being responsible for authorizing strikes on boats like Carranza’s, a move reportedly approved by US President Donald Trump.
Since early September, the US has launched at least 22 airstrikes on boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 83 people. The US government defends the strikes, asserting they are in line with the Law of Armed Conflict and target boats linked to drug cartels. Trump claimed that the September 15 strike killed three “narcoterrorists from Venezuela” who were transporting drugs to the US.
However, Kovalik disputes this narrative, stating that Carranza was simply fishing for marlin and tuna at the time of his death. “That’s what he was doing—fishing. It was his livelihood,” Kovalik said. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has described Carranza as a lifelong fisherman with no ties to drug trafficking, echoed this claim. Petro acknowledged that Carranza may have occasionally been involved in illegal activities due to financial strain but emphasized that “his actions did not deserve the death penalty.”
Kovalik, who has also represented President Petro in the past, is known for his advocacy on human rights and has spoken out against US policies targeting Colombia. On October 24, the US imposed sanctions on Petro over alleged involvement in the global drug trade—accusations the president has denied.
