A UN special rapporteur says there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that US attacks on boats suspected of carrying drugs across the Pacific and Caribbean may constitute crimes against humanity. The assessment follows dozens of strikes carried out since September 2025, which the rapporteur says have resulted in large numbers of civilian deaths. One recent attack in the Caribbean, reported as occurring on Saturday, killed four people.
The outlets describe the attacks as being conducted on the stated basis of stopping drug trafficking by sea to the United States. Coverage also differs slightly in the figures reported: The Guardian cites more than 230 deaths, while Al Jazeera reports 223 deaths, alongside a count of 68 attacks in the past year. Both accounts attribute the findings to a UN human rights expert examining whether the pattern and circumstances of the strikes meet the threshold for serious international crimes.
