SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Fishermen work in the Gulf of Paria, an inlet of the Caribbean Sea, on November 06, 2025, in Icacos Point, Trinidad and Tobago.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Because 'This Is Murder,' Family of Colombian Fisherman Killed by Trump Readies Legal Fight
"We want this case to help stop these killings from taking place again," said the American lawyer representing the family.
Nov 14, 2025
Family members of a Colombian fisherman killed in one of the Trump administration's illegal strikes on boats in the Caribbean is preparing to take legal action over what they describe as the murder of their loved one.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the family of Alejandro Carranza "has hired an American lawyer, who said he was preparing a legal claim."
The lawyer, Dan Kovalik, told the Times that the impending case is important both because "the family deserves compensation for the loss" of Alejandro and, more broadly to stop the Trump administration from killing people with impunity.
"We want this case to help stop these killings from taking place again," Kovalik said. "This is murder, and it is destroying rule of law."
The description of Carranza's killing as murder aligns with the views of United Nations experts and human rights advocates who have characterized the Trump administration's bombings in international waters as extrajudicial killings. To date, the administration has carried out at least 19 strikes on vessels in international waters, killing an estimated 75-80 people in total.
"I never thought I would lose my father in this way," said Cheila Carranza, Alejandro's 14-year-old daughter.
Trump has claimed, without providing any evidence, that the targeted vessels were smuggling drugs to the US. Though his body has yet to be found, Carranza is believed to have been killed in an attack in the Caribbean on September 15, part of the Trump administration's broader military campaign and buildup in the region that has sparked fears of a direct US war with Venezuela and other nations.
The attack infuriated Colombia President Gustavo Petro, who suspended intelligence cooperation with the US in response and accused the Trump administration of trampling international law.
"If intelligence communications only serve to kill fishermen with missiles, it is not only irrational, but a crime against humanity, insofar as the murder of civilians is systematic," Petro wrote in a lengthy social media post earlier this week.
"Colombia respects international law and defends it because it is the only wall we have as a human civilization against the barbarism that threatens to take over all of humanity," he added.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Family members of a Colombian fisherman killed in one of the Trump administration's illegal strikes on boats in the Caribbean is preparing to take legal action over what they describe as the murder of their loved one.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the family of Alejandro Carranza "has hired an American lawyer, who said he was preparing a legal claim."
The lawyer, Dan Kovalik, told the Times that the impending case is important both because "the family deserves compensation for the loss" of Alejandro and, more broadly to stop the Trump administration from killing people with impunity.
"We want this case to help stop these killings from taking place again," Kovalik said. "This is murder, and it is destroying rule of law."
The description of Carranza's killing as murder aligns with the views of United Nations experts and human rights advocates who have characterized the Trump administration's bombings in international waters as extrajudicial killings. To date, the administration has carried out at least 19 strikes on vessels in international waters, killing an estimated 75-80 people in total.
"I never thought I would lose my father in this way," said Cheila Carranza, Alejandro's 14-year-old daughter.
Trump has claimed, without providing any evidence, that the targeted vessels were smuggling drugs to the US. Though his body has yet to be found, Carranza is believed to have been killed in an attack in the Caribbean on September 15, part of the Trump administration's broader military campaign and buildup in the region that has sparked fears of a direct US war with Venezuela and other nations.
The attack infuriated Colombia President Gustavo Petro, who suspended intelligence cooperation with the US in response and accused the Trump administration of trampling international law.
"If intelligence communications only serve to kill fishermen with missiles, it is not only irrational, but a crime against humanity, insofar as the murder of civilians is systematic," Petro wrote in a lengthy social media post earlier this week.
"Colombia respects international law and defends it because it is the only wall we have as a human civilization against the barbarism that threatens to take over all of humanity," he added.
Family members of a Colombian fisherman killed in one of the Trump administration's illegal strikes on boats in the Caribbean is preparing to take legal action over what they describe as the murder of their loved one.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the family of Alejandro Carranza "has hired an American lawyer, who said he was preparing a legal claim."
The lawyer, Dan Kovalik, told the Times that the impending case is important both because "the family deserves compensation for the loss" of Alejandro and, more broadly to stop the Trump administration from killing people with impunity.
"We want this case to help stop these killings from taking place again," Kovalik said. "This is murder, and it is destroying rule of law."
The description of Carranza's killing as murder aligns with the views of United Nations experts and human rights advocates who have characterized the Trump administration's bombings in international waters as extrajudicial killings. To date, the administration has carried out at least 19 strikes on vessels in international waters, killing an estimated 75-80 people in total.
"I never thought I would lose my father in this way," said Cheila Carranza, Alejandro's 14-year-old daughter.
Trump has claimed, without providing any evidence, that the targeted vessels were smuggling drugs to the US. Though his body has yet to be found, Carranza is believed to have been killed in an attack in the Caribbean on September 15, part of the Trump administration's broader military campaign and buildup in the region that has sparked fears of a direct US war with Venezuela and other nations.
The attack infuriated Colombia President Gustavo Petro, who suspended intelligence cooperation with the US in response and accused the Trump administration of trampling international law.
"If intelligence communications only serve to kill fishermen with missiles, it is not only irrational, but a crime against humanity, insofar as the murder of civilians is systematic," Petro wrote in a lengthy social media post earlier this week.
"Colombia respects international law and defends it because it is the only wall we have as a human civilization against the barbarism that threatens to take over all of humanity," he added.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.