UN report says US drug-boat strikes may be crimes against humanity
Special Rapporteur Ben Saul finds 68 US strikes on alleged trafficking vessels killed 223 people without legal justification for self-defence.
What to know
- UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul finds at least 68 US strikes since September last year killed more than 220 people outside self-defence justifications.
- The report calls the strikes serial extrajudicial killings and says there are reasonable grounds they constitute crimes against humanity of murder.
- The finding follows a US strike two days earlier that killed four more people, part of the ongoing Operation Southern Spear.
- The White House and State Department had not yet responded to the report at time of BBC reporting; officials have not provided definitive evidence targets were trafficking drugs.
“such attacks amount to serial extrajudicial killings in violation of the right to life, being unjustified in national or personal self-defence or under international humanitarian law, the international law of the sea, narcotics suppression conventions, or international counter-terrorism law”
Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur · BBC News ↗ · Sep 20
Ben Saul UN Special Rapporteur
Pete Hegseth US Defence SecretarySouthcom US military command for the region
Nicolás Maduro Former Venezuelan president
Gustavo Petro Former Colombian president
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the reported 68 attacks that killed 223 people constituted crimes against humanity of murder under customary international law.”
— Ben Saul -
9 outlets first by Guardian, 2d ago · also CBC, Guardian US, NYT, UPI, ABC Australia, Al Jazeera +2 · read ↗
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US strikes on alleged drug boats breach law, UN says A report says the attacks, of which there have been at least 68 outside US territorial waters, which killed more than 220 people, could represent crimes against humanity Story By Robert Greenall Sept. 21, 2026
2 more of the top 3 · 17 posts in this stretch
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"A United Nations human rights expert has concluded that US attacks on suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean violate international law and may amount to crimes against humanity. In a report published on Monday, Ben Saul, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, said the US has struck…
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US strike kills four on vessel in Caribbean — The US military says it killed four people in a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, releasing grainy video and pictures; Southcom describes the target as involved in narco-trafficking.
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Colombia's Petro steps down as critic of the strikes — Gustavo Petro, another vocal opponent of Operation Southern Spear, stands down as Colombia's president after a Trump-backed candidate won the June presidential election.
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US forces seize Venezuela's Maduro in Caracas raid — Nicolás Maduro, then Venezuela's leader and an outspoken critic of the strikes, is captured by US forces in a night-time raid on Caracas.
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US launches Operation Southern Spear — The US military begins a campaign of strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific outside US territorial waters, described by officials as targeting narco-terrorists.
What people are saying 13 voices from 2 sites · best of 17 · verbatim
- Yesterday
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ICYMI — UN Special Rapporteur @profbensaul calls Hegseth & Trump’s boat bombings “Crimes against humanity” His briefing:
- Sep 22
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U.S. strikes on boats alleged to be carrying drugs may be 'crimes against humanity,' UN expert says | CBC News https://www. cbc.ca/news/world/un-geneva-bo at-strikes-9.7351852
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You bought into the propaganda. Fishing boats aren’t low profile with massively powerful high speed engines and the decks packed with waterproof rapped huge bundles. Open your eyes.
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We knew this when the first one happened, but nobody has done anything to stop them. US 'drug boat' strikes breach international law, could be crimes against humanity, UN report says https://www. abc.net.au/news/2026-09-22/us- drug-boat-strikes-legality-explained-in-un-report/107180978
- Sep 21
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"Airstrikes by the United States on alleged drug-smuggling boats, which have killed more than 220 people, violate international law and plausibly constitute crimes against humanity, a United Nations legal expert said": https://www. nytimes.com/2026/09/21/world/a mericas/us-boat-strikes-crimes-un.html # CaribbeanSlaughter # Trump # murderer * #…
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File this under the category of ‘no shit, Sherlock.’ Of course Mango Mussolini and # USA broke international # law and committed crimes against humanity. They simply don’t care, and no one holds them to account. # crime https://www. cbc.ca/news/world/un-geneva-bo at-strikes-9.7351852
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Trump made a law that said corporations have to stop buying houses and because of this I was able to have lots of power in negotiations when buying my 1st house. Something the democrats refused to do for 4 years because they would never actually hurt corporations. The deportations in my area have driven up the cost of employment and I now get paid…
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What the fuck are you talking about? You know Ukraine is currently being INVADED BY AND OCCUPIED BY RUSSIA, right? You're not that out of touch with reality that you're completely oblivious to the bloodiest, most destructive war of your entire fucking life, are you? The United States wasn't AT WAR with Venezuela when they blew up those fucking…
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Actually yes, it demonstrates that the UN is incapable of impartially judging a situation and can't be trusted with their opinions on what the US does.
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Absolutely they are. The US is the biggest terrorist country in the world. They are worse than Iran and I agree with Hassan Piker.
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They are absolutely a crime. No matter how you frame it. Shooting at civilians with military equipment and weapons, not providing any proof to justify the use of deadly force, disguising military equipment to look like civilian equipment, shooting someone who is already wounded and clinging to wreckage, and so much more. All of these are issues…
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Of course they are war crimes. That's a given.. but what is the UN gonna do? Write a strongly worded email about how we are meaniebutts? We know, the world knows. Yes. We suck.
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Of the lethal boat strikes, a UN Special Rapporteur says, in a very clearly written report: "The United States military attacks are…contrary to international law, violate the human right to life, and plausibly constitute crimes against humanity." https://www. ohchr.org/sites/default/files/…