UK halts intelligence sharing with US over lethal anti-drug operations

The United Kingdom’s intelligence agencies and military have stopped sharing intelligence with the US regarding vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean.

The claim was reported by the British newspaper The Times. The Trump administration is conducting lethal attacks against drug traffickers in international waters. In an unprecedented move, intelligence gathered from British sources in the region is no longer being passed to the Americans, as Britain seeks to avoid complicity in US attacks.

The Royal Navy conducts operations against suspected traffickers, but a military source said, “We only target the vessels and do not kill people. We detain them.”

Military officials are concerned about the legality of Donald Trump’s decision to “blow up” drug cartels after defining them as terrorists.

In September of last year, a Royal Navy warship intercepted a “narco-submarine” for the first time, seizing cocaine worth £160 million being trafficked in the Caribbean Sea.

HMS Trent worked with the US Coast Guard and a US naval patrol aircraft to seize the semi-submersible vessel 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic, and eleven suspects were arrested.

A Royal Navy source said at the time that the use of submarines by criminal gangs was a growing phenomenon as criminal organizations find more innovative ways to make money from drugs.

The US began attacks against boats in September, and 76 people have been killed so far.

According to CNN, Britain became concerned that the US could use intelligence provided by the British to select targets and suspended intelligence sharing more than a month ago.

The US is Britain’s closest intelligence-sharing partner, and London relies heavily on information collected by the Americans.

Both countries are part of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing partnership, along with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

A government spokesperson said, “It is our long-standing policy not to comment on intelligence matters. The US is our closest ally on security and intelligence. We continue to work together to protect global peace and security, defend freedom of navigation, and respond to emerging threats.”

It is unclear whether the US has retaliated by restricting the information it shares with the British.

The United Kingdom controls a number of territories in the Caribbean that host various intelligence assets. Information gathered by agencies such as the country’s listening agency, GCHQ, is then passed to the US to be used for interdicting these criminals. The UK is willing to provide intelligence to the US for the purpose of prosecuting traffickers as criminals.

The source added that the intelligence provided by the UK includes the locations of drug trafficking vessels and the number of people on board.

When the Royal Navy conducts missions itself, it boards the vessels, detains the crew, and seizes the drugs.

Last month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said these attacks violate international law. Britain is thought to share this view.

The Trump administration argues that the traffickers can be killed because they pose an imminent threat to Americans and are “enemy combatants.”

On Monday, it was revealed that US forces had attacked two more boats in the eastern Pacific, allegedly operated by drug cartels.

According to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, six people were killed. Hegseth said, “These vessels were known by our intelligence to be linked to illicit drugs and trafficking, carrying drugs, and sailing along a known drug trafficking transit route in the eastern Pacific.”