Britain stops sharing drug intel with US amid boat strikes: Report

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 12, 2025 02:21 IST

The United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence with the United States on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, after growing alarm that British information could be used to carry out lethal US military strikes.

According to a CNN report, British officials say that continuing to provide intelligence risked making the UK complicit in actions they view as violations of international law.

For years, the UK has played a key behind-the-scenes role in tracking suspected drug boats across Caribbean waters. Using surveillance assets from its territories in the region, it helped US Coast Guard units intercept vessels, detain crews, and seize narcotics, according to CNN.

That cooperation came to a halt after September, when the US began striking suspected drug-running boats from the air and sea attacks that have reportedly killed at least 76 people. “We cannot be seen as feeding coordinates for missile strikes that don’t meet international legal standards,” one UK official told CNN.

The intelligence freeze began quietly more than a month ago, the report said, and marks a rare rupture in the two nations’ deep intelligence partnership.

The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Trk, last month condemned the US actions as “extrajudicial killings” and violations of international law — a position echoed privately by British officials.

Since September, the US has carried out more than a dozen such strikes — first near Venezuela’s coast, then in the eastern Pacific — killing over 70 people, according to US Defense Secretary. Washington has claimed the targeted boats were ferrying drugs, but has not publicly provided evidence.

Critics, including foreign governments and legal experts, have demanded transparency. “These are not police operations; they are summary executions at sea,” a Latin American diplomat was quoted as saying.

According to a report in Reuters, Venezuela has called the US actions murderous and an act of aggression, accusing Washington of targeting its citizens and undermining its sovereignty. President Nicols Maduro has accused Donald Trump of trying to destabilize his government, a charge the US president has denied.

The standoff has unfolded against a backdrop of military escalation. In September, the US deployed a nuclear submarine, warships, and an aircraft carrier group to the Caribbean, citing the growing drug trade and threats to regional stability. Caracas responded by mobilizing tens of thousands of troops.

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With inputs from agencies