UN Expert: US Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Plausibly Constitute Crimes Against Humanity

Ben Saul, the UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, stated Monday that US military attacks on boats are contrary to international law, violate the human right to life, and plausibly constitute crimes against humanity.

He warned that the killings could reasonably constitute crimes against humanity of murder under customary international law, which generally requires murder as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. Saul concurred with numerous human rights experts, saying there are no international legal rights to unilaterally use military force to counter drug cartels or organized crime groups, even if the targeted boats were engaged in drug trafficking.

The report covers dozens of US attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean over the past year, which have killed more than 230 people since September 2025. One report cites 68 US attacks that killed 223 people. The latest strike on Saturday killed four people in the Caribbean. Southcom, which commands US forces in the region, stated the latest operation killed four narco-terrorists and confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking.

Trump notified Congress last October that the strikes were part of a non-international armed conflict. The US military launched the operation, known as "Southern Spear," in early September. Saul compared the bombings to alleged crimes of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.