Drug related violence

News2 September 2026

United States: UN experts demand end to unlawful killings at sea, as one-year death toll hits 223

UN experts condemn US military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, stressing that enforcement responses to trafficking are governed by human rights law.

Events

The U.S. 'war on drugs' meets the 'war on terror': Lawless killings overseas while communities suffer at home

New York City, United States

2 September 2026

As the US intensifies its militarised approach to drug policy in the name of 'narcoterrorism', the Drug Policy Alliance and the Center for Constitutional Rights discuss how this framing legitimises state violence and undermines human rights.

News28 May 2026

More than 120 organizations demand an end to the complicity of third countries in US extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean

The global coalition argues that the US's attacks on small boats are illegal under international law and devastating to the ecnomies of coastal communities.

News12 April 2026

Philippines: ICC hearing gives survivors of Duterte’s 'drug war' hope

A recent ICC hearing offered a rare moment of hope in the pursuit of accountability for the deadly campaign.

News28 November 2025

Mexico's President Sheinbaum dismisses Trump’s threat of sending troops to Mexico

As the US escalates its violent interference in Latin America, Sheinbaum condemns possible military strikes against Mexican drug cartels.

News11 November 2025

Unprovoked lethal strikes by the United States against vessels at sea may amount to international crimes: UN experts

Leading international human rights experts urged an end to the attacks and an independent probe to ensure accountability.

Events

Uncharted waters: U.S. Military action in the Caribbean

Hybrid Event | 1666 Connecticut Avenue NW or online

5 November 2025 - 5 November 2025

WOLA and Amnesty International are hosting a hybrid event on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, to discuss U.S. military action in the Caribbean.

News3 November 2025

Facts to inform the debate about the U.S. government’s anti-drug offensive in the Americas

WOLA unpicks the human cost of militarised drug control, and calls for an evidence-based, humane alternative.

News24 September 2025

America is blowing up boats and asking questions later

Trump’s drug war playbook looks disturbingly like Duterte’s, the Philippine leader now facing trial for crimes against humanity.

News5 March 2025

What you need to know about the criminal groups the US just labeled ‘terrorists’

Criminalised supply networks are harmful, but designating them as terrorist groups is an ill-fitting response that will disproportionately harm vulnerabilised people.

Publications14 November 2024

After the war on drugs: The impacts of cocaine and cannabis regulation in Rio de Janeiro

GI-TOC explores legal regulation's potential to diminish the power held by organised crime groups, mitigate violence and reduce incarceration.

Publications15 September 2024

Drug market risk environment and navigational strategies of street-level dealers in Nigeria

Nelson et al. investigate the many tactics street dealers use to mitigate risks of police harassment, arrest, and violence, and call on the government to focus on systemic rather than law enforcement solutions.

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