LONDON — The United Kingdom has suspended portions of its intelligence sharing with the United States over what it views as unlawful U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, according to multiple reports. The temporary halt, which occurred earlier this fall, underscores growing international concern about the Trump administration’s legal rationale for the operations, which have killed at least 76 people.
British intelligence routinely aids the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS), headquartered in Key West, Florida, in tracking suspected narcotics vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Officials told CNN that London was worried American forces could use UK-provided data to select strike targets, leading to potential legal exposure for Britain.
The U.S. has expanded its military presence in the region since September, deploying warships, submarines, and F-35 fighter jets while labeling the targets “narco-terrorists” allegedly linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have sought further details about the campaign’s legal basis after the administration claimed it does not require congressional authorization.
The United Nations’ human rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned the operations last month as “extrajudicial killings” that violate international law. The UK confirmed its pause but reaffirmed that the U.S. “remains our closest ally on security and intelligence.”
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