UN says US strikes on suspected 'drug boats' may be crimes against humanity

newsSep 22, 202620466

A United Nations report by Special Rapporteur Ben Saul finds the Trump administration's air strikes on suspected "narco-trafficking" vessels, an operation dubbed Southern Spear, may violate international, maritime and humanitarian law and are "plausibly" crimes against humanity. Since September last year the United States military has struck at least 68 vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, killing at least 223 people. The briefing note prepared for the UN Human Rights Council says the attacks amount to "serial extrajudicial killings" and assessed their legality across nine areas, including self-defence, authority to target in armed conflict, and proportionality. The report finds "reasonable grounds" that the strikes formed part of a "widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population." The UN found growing evidence the campaign has not reduced illicit drug flows into the United States, citing DEA reporting that cocaine prices and supply remain unchanged and noting most regional cocaine moves in container ships while fentanyl, the main driver of US overdose deaths, is largely not transported by sea. The report estimates the strikes have cost the US government about US$4.7 billion and notes the campaign began amid heightened tensions that included a US operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Neither President Trump nor White House officials have publicly responded to the report.

Truthout

@truthout.org

A UN report has concluded that the U.S.’s boat strike campaign in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean has violated international law and “plausibly” amounts to crimes against humanity, a label reserved for the worst human rights violations in global conflicts.

17318d ago

Truthout48

The report says that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the boat strikes constitute “crimes against humanity of murder” under international law because they targeted civilians, and not those classified as combatants under any formal category of international law or otherwise.

finstersghost.bsky.social3

hegseth's hankering for the hague

Quoting this

Deborah Leão 🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸23

a gente sabe que essas declarações não vão gerar punição, mas pelo menos fica o registro do absurdo que é a operação Lança do Sul. não tem justificativa, explicação, autorização, nada. nem nome das vítimas. só pequenos barcos sendo bombardeados em nome da "guerra às drogas".

the terminally well14

uh these are very obviously super clearly fascist ghouls absolutely undoubtedly committing crimes against humanity and all of the blatantly cowardly equivocating is nothing but evidence of the excessive degree of fascist/capitalist institutional rot

Anodyne3

"United States military law prohibits war crimes, murder and manslaughter including extraterritorially ... The Government has regrettably penalized former military personnel who called on United States forces to disobey illegal orders, rather than those who allegedly committed unlawful killings."

Antlers Teeth Claws2

This is why the regime is trying to discredit & disband the ICC: to avoid Hegseth, Trump et al from being tried for their continuing murders.

James K2

Hegseth came straight out of the gate telling us that he'd be doing shit like that. One wonders how many Iranian citizens that he's killed, too.

papaesoco.bsky.social

@papaesoco.bsky.social

US’s Boat Strikes Are “Plausibly” Crimes Against Humanity, UN Report Says truthout.org/articles/uss...

6218d ago

pigznzen.bsky.social7

Justice better find it's way to this drunk weekend fox news host.

Debs Kaye6

DICTATORS DON'T CARE about the legalities of their ACTIONS as we've SEEN OVER & OVER AGAIN with the Trump REGIME!

jules, cowbell a f3

i look forward to kegseth never being able to travel internationally

Bilbo Baggins.2

It's cold blooded murder. From the top of the command chain down to whoever pushed the button. Being ex military I have a certain amount of understanding for the position of the junior ranks involved though, the senior officers should have stopped it immediately.

slodude.bsky.social2

Whiskey Pete Hegseth is a crime against humanity.

ABC News Australia

@news.abc.net.au

US 'drug boat' strikes breach international law, could be crimes against humanity, UN report says

6518d ago

Quoting this

Matthew Downhour 287

It’s essentially a high tech version of what they arrested Rodrigo Duterte for

Andy Fleming17

not that it matters eh

Bombshell DAILY

@bombshelldaily.bsky.social

TRUMPS CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY 223 Caribbean boatmen have now been intentionally murdered with American taxpayer munitions. * No arrests * No evidence * No trials The United Nations sees red. @NATO @UN #oops #suspects #Caribbean truthout.org/articles/uss...

2118d ago

ABC News Bot (unofficial)

@abcnewsbot.bsky.social

The Trump administration's strikes on alleged "narco-trafficking" vessels amount to extrajudicial murders that violate international, maritime and humanitarian law, a United Nations report says.

1518d ago

jon-sociologist.bsky.social

@jon-sociologist.bsky.social

The US doesn't generally recognize international law. But the boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific also violate US law. According to the US constitution the alleged drug traffickers had a right to due process. This makes the boat strikes unlawful and therefore murder under US federal law. 1/2

2118d ago

Mike Walker

@newnarrative.bsky.social

Why United Nations says US boat strikes may be ‘crimes against humanity’ www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...

1618d ago

Tess Bridgeman

@tessbridgeman.bsky.social

Read this thread by @rgoodlaw.bsky.social on the Special Rapporteur's conclusion: "reasonable grounds to believe" that the boat strikes "that killed 223 people constituted crimes against humanity of murder" And then read our collection to understand why & what Congress can do about it 👇:

1718d ago

Proudly Blue

@proudlyblue.bsky.social

Trump & Hegseth are acting as judge, jury, & executioner by assassinating 223 men in tiny fishing boats, claiming, without any proof whatsoever, that they're smuggling drugs. If found guilty by the ICC of murder, both should be hanged like the NAZIs were. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...

1317d ago

Raw Feed News

@rawfeednews.bsky.social

🔴 BREAKING: US strikes on alleged drug boats may amount to "crimes against humanity," a UN expert says. American forces have killed 223 people in 68 attacks across the Caribbean and Pacific over the past year. 🕐 05:00 UTC #News #War Read more: https://rawfeednews.com/post/muc7h37i.html

918d ago

U.S. Naval Institute

@usni.org

U.S. Strikes 70th Alleged Drug Boat, U.N. Brief Condemns Attacks — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/09/21/u...

718d ago

Jonathan

@jonathansocials.com

The "tough on crime" crowd sure loves their "law and order," right up until it means launching deadly strikes against *alleged* drug smugglers instead of due process.

817d ago

Graphic Granola

@graphicgranola.bsky.social

Yes, again. UN is correct. "Crimes against humanity" for this #CriminalRegime is their Modus Operandi. The boat bombings just scratch the surface. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

418d ago

Carla Winston

@carlawinston.bsky.social

Additional context: Article 5 'The widespread or systematic practice of enforced disappearance constitutes a crime against humanity as defined in applicable international law and shall attract the consequences provided for under such applicable international law.'

418d ago

OrNative69

@trumpelthinskin.bsky.social

Right. The only question for them is whether to charge him with war crimes or crimes against humanity for killing people who boat.

818d ago

3 sources

abc.net.auTrump's 'drug boat' strikes may be crimes against humanity, UN says truthout.orgUN Report Finds US Boat Strikes Violate International Law, Are “Plausibly” Crimes Against Humanity commondreams.orgUN Expert Says Trump 'Murder' Spree at Sea May Constitute 'Crimes Against Humanity' | Common Dreams

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UN says US strikes on suspected 'drug boats' may be crimes against humanity

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