# UN says US drug strikes may be crimes against humanity

> A UN report accuses the US military of conducting unlawful airstrikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific that killed over 220 people.
- Title: UN says US drug strikes may be crimes against humanity
- Summary: A UN report accuses the US military of conducting unlawful airstrikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific that killed over 220 people…
- Keywords: united nations, ben saul, us military, airstrikes, caribbean, pacific ocean, drug trafficking, international law, crimes against humanity, operation southern spear, southcom, pete hegseth
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck5ye7v88qy7o
- Published: 2026-09-21T12:08:56.845+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: united nations, ben saul, us military, airstrikes, caribbean, pacific ocean, drug trafficking, international law, crimes against humanity, operation southern spear, southcom, pete hegseth
## UN accuses US of unlawful strikes
A UN report found that at least 68 US airstrikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September 2025 killed over 220 people and breached international law.
## Self-defence claim doesn't hold up
UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul said the strikes lack legal justification because the targets never staged an armed attack on the US, which is required to invoke self-defence under international law.
## Extrajudicial killings, not lawful combat
Saul concluded the attacks amount to serial extrajudicial killings that violate the right to life and cannot be justified under humanitarian law, maritime law, or counter-terrorism conventions.

> such attacks amount to serial extrajudicial killings in violation of the right to life
## US defends operation as counter-terrorism
The US military says Operation Southern Spear targets narco-terrorists and protects Americans from drugs. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth framed it as removing threats from the hemisphere.
## No clear evidence of trafficking
US officials have not provided definitive proof that targeted vessels were actually involved in drug trafficking, despite claiming confirmed intelligence in individual strike announcements.
## Regional opposition has weakened
Latin American leaders initially criticized the strikes, but Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was seized in a US raid in January, and Colombian president Gustavo Petro lost office in August.
## Key takeaway

The UN argues that US strikes on vessels outside its territory, even if targeting drug traffickers, violate international law because they lack the armed attack on the US required to justify self-defence.