UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul says US strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels could constitute crimes against humanity, citing concerns over the use of lethal force in international waters
Saul says at least 68 vessels have been struck since September 2025, with 223 people killed, and argues that drug trafficking alone does not provide a legal basis for lethal military force
The Trump administration maintains that the campaign targets narcotics networks and groups designated as terrorists, while UN experts are calling for independent investigations into the reported killings
UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul has said there are reasonable grounds to believe that US strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking could constitute crimes against humanity, as Washington continues its maritime counter-narcotics campaign.
In a briefing note circulated by the UN human rights system, Saul said the US military had struck at least 68 vessels in international waters since September 2025, with 223 people killed. The assessment argues that the use of lethal force against suspected drug traffickers must comply with international human rights and maritime law.
UN human rights experts had earlier raised concerns with the US government over the legal basis of the campaign. In a September 2025 communication, they questioned the reported killing of 11 people aboard a vessel in international waters and said the attack could amount to serious violations of the right to life.
Latest Strike
The criticism comes after another US strike on Saturday.
A US Southern Command video published through the Department of Defense’s DVIDS platform said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out a “lethal, kinetic strike” on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean. SOUTHCOM said intelligence had confirmed the vessel’s involvement in drug trafficking and that four people it described as “narco-terrorists” were killed.
The UN experts’ concerns centre on whether drug trafficking alone provides a legal basis for the use of lethal military force. Saul’s briefing note argues that organised criminal activity does not by itself create an armed conflict or permit military force to be used against individuals who do not pose an imminent threat to life. It also says operations on the high seas are subject to international law governing the interception and boarding of vessels.
US Counter-Cartel Campaign
The Trump administration has defended the wider campaign as part of its effort to disrupt narcotics trafficking and counter cartels it has designated as foreign terrorist organisations.
The White House said in August that Trump had directed military forces to conduct strikes on dozens of narcotrafficking boats as part of efforts to disrupt maritime supply routes. It also said the administration had designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction and certain cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.
The Department of War said earlier this month that Operation Southern Spear had been running for a year and that US forces had conducted airstrikes against 19 vessels suspected of links to designated terrorist organisations during the April-June quarter, with about 56 people killed or presumed dead. Officials said the operation was aimed at disrupting narcotics networks and protecting the US.
The UN experts have called for the alleged killings to be independently investigated and for those responsible to be held accountable where evidence establishes criminal responsibility. The dispute therefore centres on the legal framework governing the US campaign: Washington treats the targets as part of a counter-cartel and national-security operation, while the UN experts argue that law-enforcement and human-rights standards govern the use of lethal force at sea.
