A UN human rights council special rapporteur has found reasonable grounds to believe that US strikes on boats allegedly trafficking drugs in the Pacific and Caribbean may constitute crimes against humanity. The attacks have killed more than 230 people since September 2025.
A special rapporteur for the UN human rights council has concluded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that United States attacks on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Pacific and Caribbean “constituted crimes against humanity”, according to the Guardian.
The boat strikes have been carried out since September 2025 on the stated grounds of stopping drugs being trafficked by sea to the US. The Guardian reports that the attacks have killed more than 230 people over that period.
A report on the strikes found that the attacks were not self-defence, according to the BBC, which said there have been at least 68 such strikes.
The most recent attack took place on Saturday and killed four people in the Caribbean, the Guardian reported.
The United States has said the strikes were intended to stop drugs being trafficked by sea to the country. The UN finding challenges that justification by concluding the attacks did not amount to self-defence.
The assessment comes from a special rapporteur, an independent expert appointed to examine and report on specific human rights issues for the UN human rights council.
Why it matters
A UN finding that a major power's military actions may amount to crimes against humanity carries significant legal and diplomatic weight. With more than 230 people reported killed, the conclusion raises questions about the lawfulness of the US anti-trafficking campaign at sea.