NGOs screaming “extrajudicial killings” — the real explanation

NGOs screaming “extrajudicial killings” — the real explanation

NGOs blow a gasket every time the US sinks a narco boat with armed traffickers on board, and the outrage always follows the same predictable script. Here’s what’s actually happening and why their claims never hold up.

They don’t understand maritime law

Most of these groups react as if the ocean works like a suburban police stop. A vessel sinks and people die, and they immediately cry “extrajudicial killing” without acknowledging that drug boats routinely refuse orders, try to ram Coast Guard craft, or open fire. They skip the facts because the narrative is more exciting.

They pretend cartel crews are innocent fishermen

Whenever a narco-sub or Go-Fast goes down, NGOs magically transform everyone onboard into “local fishermen.” They do this even when the boat is carrying cocaine bricks, armed crew, hidden fuel bladders, encrypted radios, or scuttling valves. It’s deliberate misrepresentation dressed up as compassion.

They ignore the stateless-vessel doctrine

Under international maritime law, a stateless vessel has no sovereign protection, no legal shield, and no right to claim immunity from interdiction. The US, or any country, can board it, seize it, disable it, and if necessary destroy it. NGOs hand-wave this away because it obliterates their argument.

They pretend maritime interdiction is unlawful force

Many activist groups insist that the US must somehow “peacefully escort” armed traffickers who are fleeing at 60 knots or firing at helicopters. That isn’t how the law or physics works. If a vessel becomes a threat, the use of deadly force is lawful self-defence. Pretending otherwise is pure theatrics.

They demand courtroom standards in the middle of the ocean

NGOs talk as though boarding teams must follow civilian arrest protocols while being shot at. At sea, the legal threshold is simple: if there is imminent danger to life, deadly force is authorised. There’s no requirement to attempt a non-lethal arrest when a hostile vessel is actively endangering personnel.

NGO’s only criticise the US, never the cartels

You’ll notice they never condemn the cartels for firing first, trafficking humans, using slave labour, forcing teenagers into crews, or sinking overloaded vessels that drown migrants. They save all their outrage for the country actually trying to stop the trade, because attacking the US is safe and profitable for them.

Their claims are based on rumour, not evidence

Most NGO reports rely on anonymous sources, cartel-linked “community members,” or political activists. Meanwhile, the US rolls out HD video, radio logs, radar data, and full use-of-force documentation. The NGO narrative falls apart the moment hard evidence appears.

The legal reason their outrage goes nowhere

International tribunals, maritime courts, and national courts all recognise that armed traffickers who refuse lawful orders and act with hostile intent are treated the same way as pirates. Deadly force in self-defence is legal. Stateless vessels have no standing. Drug trafficking is universally criminal. NGOs can shout, but they have no legal foothold.