Security
U.S. Boat Strikes Target Suspected Drug Smugglers, Drawing UN Condemnation
CBC · 5 days ago · Read the Full Story on CBC
AI SUMMARY
A UN special rapporteur has condemned U.S. military missile strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats as potential crimes against humanity, amid growing scrutiny over mounting casualties.
- A UN special rapporteur categorized U.S. missile strikes on boats suspected of drug smuggling as serial extrajudicial killings and potential crimes against humanity.
- The U.S. military attacked a boat in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people and bringing the total death toll to at least 231 people across 69 strikes since September 2025.
- The Trump administration justified the campaign as self-defense in an armed conflict with narco-terrorists, invoking the Alien Enemies Act regarding the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
- Ben Saul, the UN special rapporteur, reported that the U.S. attacks violate international humanitarian law, maritime law, and the right to life without presenting evidence of armed threats.
- The report also raised concerns about three vessels that sank in suspicious circumstances, including the Ecuadorian boat Fiorella whose crew disappeared and whose investigating prosecutor was fatally shot in June.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strikes at a July hearing, stating that intelligence is thoroughly assessed and a legal officer is present for every operation.
- U.S. lawmakers from both parties expressed alarm over targeting criteria, noting Coast Guard statistics showing that about one in four historic interdictions do not involve drugs.
- DEA assessments indicate that traffickers are adapting by shifting sea routes out of international waters and increasingly utilizing aircraft to transport drugs.
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