UK cuts intelligence ties over boat strikes in Caribbean

Over the last few months, the United States has been actively engaging alleged drug smuggling boats with military strikes. To this point, there have been more than a dozen strikes with dozens of alleged drug runners being obliterated in the process.

After being called out by the UN, now the United Kingdom announced it is breaking off intelligence-sharing operations over the strikes.

Carrying out the strikes

The operation against the cartels is now being fought in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Whenever a suspected drug boat is spotted, it is being engaged with drones and blown to bits, killing everyone aboard the vessel in all but two instances.

To date, there have been a total of 19 strikes, killing 75 people, and three survivors.

The largest single strike was announced on September 2, with 11 people reportedly killed. October 27 was the most active day, with three strikes taking place, killing 14 people altogether.

UN blasts strikes

In late October, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, spoke against the United States and Donald Trump for conducting these strikes.

Turk’s office stated, “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The U.S. must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”

The statement continued that Turk believes “airstrikes by the United States of America on boats in the Caribbean and in the Pacific violate international human rights law.”

This would more or less force other countries to take a stand, and the UK is among the first to side with the UN.

No more

In a rather shocking move, the UK has decided to break off intelligence sharing with the United States over these strikes. CNN reported, “The United Kingdom is no longer 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 the attacks are illegal.”

Former UK Home Secretary and Attorney General Suella Braverman shredded the decision, saying that the “special relationship” between these two countries is now “dead.”

She then called out the British PM for the decision, stating, “It was killed by Keir Starmer and his lefty lawyer mates who live in a fantasy world detached from the rest of us. They hate strong leadership and decisiveness.”

This is a considerable loss for the United States in that theater, but I have not yet seen a response by Donald Trump to this development, although I am sure one is coming. I would also imagine that King Charles’ phone is ringing off the hook right now.