UN Expert Raises Legal Concerns Over US Strikes on Suspected Drug Boats

(MENAFN) UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul has raised serious legal concerns over US attacks on boats suspected of carrying drugs, warning that the operations could potentially amount to crimes against humanity and that there are reasonable grounds to view them as violations of international law.

In a statement, Saul said at least 223 people had been killed in US attacks targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific since Sept. 2, 2025.

The US government has said the vessels targeted in the operations were involved in drug trafficking.

Saul challenged the legal justification for deploying military force against people suspected of drug trafficking. He argued that involvement in the drug trade does not, on its own, amount to an armed attack that would permit the use of force in self-defense under international law.

Instead, he said individuals suspected of trafficking drugs should be handled through conventional law enforcement procedures and afforded due process.

The UN expert also expressed concern about reports of covert activity in Mexico, including alleged targeted killings of cartel figures and the use of foreign drones to conduct surveillance over Mexican territory.

Those reports have not been independently confirmed, and Saul did not identify any particular country as being responsible for the alleged activities.

He further cautioned that foreign military operations conducted inside Mexico without authorization could represent a violation of the country's sovereignty.

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