US Airstrikes on Alleged Drug Boats Classified as Crimes Against Humanity

Wed Dec 10 2025 07:31:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Former ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo claims US airstrikes targeting purported drug smuggling vessels constitute crimes against humanity under international law, igniting debate over the legality and ethics of military actions in non-combat situations.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, has stated that recent US airstrikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific amount to crimes against humanity. The attacks, carried out under the Trump administration, have resulted in numerous civilian casualties, raising significant questions about their legality, especially since they target individuals described as criminals rather than combatants. The White House defends the operations as necessary to combat drug trafficking but faces mounting scrutiny from both legal experts and lawmakers.

A former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has told the BBC that US air strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats would be treated under international law as crimes against humanity.

The comments by Luis Moreno Ocampo come as the Trump administration faces mounting questions over the legality of the attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific - which have killed at least 66 people in the last two months.

The administration says it is in a formal armed conflict with South American traffickers who are bringing drugs into the US. However, Mr. Moreno Ocampo indicated that the military campaign is categorized as a planned, systematic attack against civilians during peacetime.

This, he said, means the campaign fits the definition of crimes against humanity. These are criminals, not soldiers. Criminals are civilians, he noted, emphasizing the need for investigation and prosecution rather than lethal force.

The White House defended its actions, asserting that President Trump is acting within the laws of armed conflict to protect the US from cartels. The administration claims the ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States, labeling it a 'biased' entity.

Moreno Ocampo expressed concern that the current military strategy represents a 'very dangerous' expansion of the presidential remit to use lethal force without judicial oversight.

The US has recently engaged in extensive military operations in the region, justifying strikes as necessary against what it describes as unlawful combatants involved in drug trafficking. This has spurred significant controversy and calls for greater legislative oversight on such military actions.