The family of a Colombian fisherman who died in a U.S.military boat strike in September has filed a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights alleging the U.S.
government illegally killed him.Alejandro Carranza was killed in a strike in the Caribbean on Sept.15, according to the petition, filed on Tuesday."From numerous news reports, we know that U.S.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza and the murder of all those on such boats," according to the petition."Secretary Hegseth has admitted that he gave such orders despite the fact that he did not know the identity of those being targeted for these bombings and extra-judicial killings."Timeline: US strikes on alleged drug boatsIn the petition, Carranza's lawyer Dan Kovalik said the fisherman's 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."While the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights can investigate the complaint and issue findings, any ruling it makes would not be legally binding on the U.S. A Pentagon official told ABC News the department does not comment on pending litigation. The filing comes after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the U.S.
government of committing murder for the strike that killed Carranza."U.S.government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters.
Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to the drug trade and his daily activity was fishing," Petro said on X last month."The Colombian boat was adrift and displaying the distress signal due to having an outboard motor.
We await explanations from the U.S.government."A screen grab from a video posted to social media by President Donald Trump, Sept.
15, 2025, of what he said was a U.S.military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela.Donald J.
Trump/...