Family of Missing Colombian Fisherman Presses for Answers Following US Strike

Sat Nov 22 2025 06:06:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The family of Alejandro Carranza seeks clarity after a US military strike targeted a vessel in international waters, potentially affecting innocent lives.

In Taganga, Colombia, Lizbeth Perez fears for her uncle, Alejandro Carranza, who has been missing since a US strike on a suspected drug boat. The operation has raised concerns about civilian casualties, with discussions around its legality and impact on local fishermen becoming increasingly heated. As the US intensifies its military actions against drug trafficking, the threat of violence hangs over the Caribbean fishing communities.

Lizbeth Perez looks fearful as she gazes out onto the postcard-perfect fishing bay of Taganga, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, recalling the moment she last spoke to her uncle in September.

He was a kind man, a good person, a friend. A good father, uncle, son. He was a cheerful person. He loved his work and his fishing, she recalled.

Alejandro Carranza said goodbye to his family early on the morning of September 14, before going out on his boat as usual. The next day, US President Donald Trump announced a military strike on a vessel that had departed Venezuela, claiming it had ties to violent drug-trafficking cartels.

Lizbeth has not seen her uncle since. His five children are missing their father, and the family is anxiously awaiting answers, uncertain if he was on the boat hit by the strike.

The truth is we don't know if it was him, we don't have any proof apart from what we saw on the news, Lizbeth expressed.

The US military began targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean in September, expanding the operation to the Pacific. According to US statements, 83 people have been killed in at least 21 strikes so far.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the campaign intends to eliminate "narco-terrorists" from the region and protect American lives from drug-related violence. However, the strikes have drawn condemnation from regional leaders who argue they may violate international law.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has criticized the US actions, asserting that Colombian citizens were aboard the boat struck on September 15, and later claimed Carranza was among those who died in the attack. The White House replied, expressing hope that President Petro would retract his comments, which they deemed baseless.

A lawyer representing Carranza's family claims they have identified his boat in footage released by the US government, and intends to sue for justice. The family argues that military actions resulting in civilian casualties should face legal scrutiny.

As tensions rise in the region, local fishermen like 81-year-old Juan Assis Tejeda express growing fears of being wrongly targeted. Even as they try to earn a living, they worry that increased military surveillance could mistake them for drug traffickers.

The strikes have sparked a complex debate encompassing issues of legality, human rights, and regional stability, as local communities await clarity on the future of their interactions with US forces amid escalating military engagement in the Caribbean Sea.