US drug boat strikes and UN war crimes allegations 2026
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UN says US strikes on alleged drug boats may be 'crimes against humanity'
The Pentagon has released videos of the strikes on social media but has disclosed little about who was killed or what evidence tied them to drug trafficking.
The US struck 68 vessels in international waters between September 2025 and August 2026, killing at least 223 people.
The US has defended the strikes as acts of self-defence against 'narco-terrorists'.
“Meanwhile, it has been estimated that the military operations had cost US$4.7 billion by mid-2026 – funds that could have instead been spent on evidence-based law enforcement, public health, and developmental interventions,”
UN expert says US strikes on drug boats may constitute crimes against humanity
Saul wrote that even if the attacked vessels and crews were members of groups listed as terrorist, such organizations had not mounted an armed attack on the United States that would trigger a right of self-defence.
The latest strike, on Saturday, killed four people in the Caribbean.
Journalists and human rights groups have identified some victims who were innocent or, when suspected of criminal activity, were at best low-ranked participants in trafficking networks.