US strikes on alleged drug boats could be crimes against humanity, says UN

Key Points:

• A UN report by Special Rapporteur Ben Saul found that recent US airstrikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking violated international law and may constitute crimes against humanity, citing at least 68 strikes since September last year that killed over 220 people.
• The report states that the strikes occurred outside US territorial waters and that even if some targets were linked to designated terrorist groups, they had not conducted armed attacks against the US to justify self-defense under international law.
• The UN Human Rights Council briefing described the attacks as serial extrajudicial killings violating rights to life and international laws, including humanitarian, maritime, narcotics, and counter-terrorism laws.
• The US military defended the strikes as operations against "narco-terrorists" threatening US security, with recent actions killing four individuals in the Caribbean, though the legality of these operations has been widely questioned by experts and Latin American leaders.
• The strikes have sparked regional controversy, especially after the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a highly contentious raid earlier this year, despite his opposition to the airstrikes.