UK suspends Caribbean intel sharing over US military’s ‘illegal’ drug boat strikes
The U.K. reportedly halted certain intelligence-sharing with the U.S. regarding suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.
In an exclusive report, CNN broke the news Tuesday, noting that the U.K. "does not want to be complicit in U.S. military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal," News.Az reports.
Citing unnamed sources, the media outlet said the intel was shared as a way for the U.K. to alert the U.S. about vessels in U.K.-controlled Caribbean territories, which were then handed over to the U.S. for interdiction.
The goal was for U.S. officials to stop the boats and then arrest suspected drug smugglers, as well as seize drugs -- as opposed to bombing the boats and killing the people onboard.
The pause in intel support reportedly began "over a month ago" and follows at least 19 U.S.-military strikes on vessels and more than 75 deaths since the beginning of September.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced the latest in a series of strikes on boats accused of ferrying drugs. In this case, two boats were targeted and six alleged narco-terrorists were killed.
Lawmakers have pressed the Trump administration for more information about who is being targeted and the legal justification for the strikes.
Hegseth and State Secretary Marco Rubio recently met with members of Congress to discuss the strikes. Twelve lawmakers reportedly attended the meeting, including high-ranking Republicans and Democrats and the heads of the armed services and intelligence committees in the House and Senate.
"STOP SELLING FENTANYL, NARCOTICS, AND ILLEGAL DRUGS IN AMERICA, AND COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICANS!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social in September.
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