Hegseth warns ICC may investigate US boat strikes in Latin America
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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned in Panama on Wednesday that the International Criminal Court could investigate U.S. military strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. He announced that Colombia would become the 19th member of the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas counter-cartel coalition and urged partners to reject ICC jurisdiction. The warning came even as a Washington Office on Latin America report documented at least 221 deaths in U.S. strikes since September 2025.
ICC Warning and Coalition Expansion
In a speech in Panama on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ICC could investigate U.S. military operations in Latin America, including strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. He announced that Colombia, under newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella, would become the 19th country to join the Shield of the Americas, also known as the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. Hegseth called on all members to reject ICC jurisdiction, accusing 'the international left' and 'enabling left-wing media' of plotting to assert the court's authority over U.S. and partner forces. The Pentagon chief said there is 'no legitimate basis' for ICC action and called U.S. operations '100 percent lawful under the laws of armed conflict.'
Civilian Death Toll
A July report by the Washington Office on Latin America documented at least 221 people killed in U.S. strikes since September 2025. The authors described the killings as murder under domestic law and extrajudicial killings under international human rights law. Monitors noted a high likelihood that civilians, including fishermen, passengers, and victims of human smuggling, were among the dead. Amnesty International has said civilians in Ecuador faced attacks and abuses under a joint U.S.-Ecuador campaign launched in March.
Narco-Vessel Reduction Claims
Hegseth said the maritime campaign had produced 'record drops' in narco-vessel movements across the Western Hemisphere. He cited at least a 65 percent reduction in the Western Caribbean, a 60 percent reduction in the Eastern Caribbean, and nearly 50 percent in the Eastern Pacific. He described the coalition's effect on maritime drug trafficking as having knocked traffickers 'on their heels.' No ICC investigation into U.S. military actions in Latin America has been announced to date.
What's Next
The Pentagon chief said more joint operations are planned with Shield of the Americas partners, though no timetable was announced. It remains unclear whether the ICC will open a formal investigation into the boat strikes, as rights organizations continue to call for independent scrutiny.
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Hegseth warns ICC may investigate US boat strikes in Latin America
