UK Suspends Intelligence Cooperation With US Over Caribbean Attacks

Canada, another strategic ally of Washington in Operation Caribbean, also distanced itself from the US attacks, which have been described as extrajudicial executions and violations of international law.

The United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence with the United States about vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean after concluding that US military strikes against suspected traffickers violate international law, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

For years, the UK—which maintains intelligence bases in several Caribbean territories—collaborated with Washington to track and intercept drug-linked vessels in coordination with the Joint Interagency Task Force South, based in Florida.

However, according to CNN, London suspended cooperation more than a month ago over concerns that British intelligence could be used to select targets for lethal strikes that have killed at least 76 people.

British officials consider these actions extrajudicial executions and violations of international humanitarian law—a position shared by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, as well as the governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia, among others.

“The attacks violate international law and amount to extrajudicial executions,” Türk stated in October, a position with which London fully agrees, according to the sources cited.

Exclusive–The UK has suspended sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes they are illegal, sources tell CNN.https://t.co/EsFENxQx6R

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) November 11, 2025

Before the policy shift, anti-drug operations were led by the US Coast Guard and law enforcement, focusing on interdiction, arrest and seizure. Under that framework, cartel members and traffickers were treated as criminals entitled to due process.

But since September, the Trump administration has authorized the US military to use lethal force, arguing that alleged traffickers pose an imminent threat and are “enemy combatants” in an “armed conflict” with the US.

A memo sent to Congress and a classified opinion from the Justice Department support this approach, while Trump designated several drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations”—a move the White House says justifies military action.

However, international law experts argue that such designations do not automatically authorize lethal force, and CNN reports that many targeted vessels were stationary or turning away when struck—undermining claims of imminent threat.

El canciller de #Venezuela🇻🇪, Yván Gil, en nombre del presidente Nicolás Maduro, agradeció a la Duma Estatal de Rusia por su llamado a la comunidad internacional para condenar la presencia militar de #EEUU🇺🇸 en el mar Caribe.https://t.co/1h7jkh0A9M

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) November 11, 2025

Defense sources revealed that Adm. Alvin Holsey, head of US Southern Command, offered to resign after raising legal concerns about the strikes during a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In addition, lawyers from the Department of Defense and current and former military legal advisors have said the attacks appear inconsistent with the Law of Armed Conflict—though the Pentagon has denied any internal dissent.

Civilian Death Toll Rises to 75 in US SOUTHCOM’s Killing Spree

Canada, while distancing itself from the lethal strikes, will continue its anti-drug cooperation with the US Coast Guard. Diplomatic sources said Ottawa sought assurances that its intelligence would not be used to select targets for military attacks.

The Canadian Ministry of Defence stated that its Armed Forces’ activities in the Caribbean are “separate and distinct” from Washington’s military operations and reaffirmed it will not take part in actions that violate international law.

 

 

(Telesur)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JB/SH