LONDON - The United Kingdom has suspended its intelligence-sharing cooperation with the United States concerning information on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, following concerns that such data may be used to carry out U.S. military strikes on small boats. The move, reported by The Guardian, marks a rare rift in the traditionally close defense relationship between the two allies.
The decision follows a series of 19 U.S. military strikes since September targeting vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking. According to British sources, these operations have resulted in an estimated 76 deaths. While Washington maintains that the victims were “combatants belonging to narcoterrorist organizations,” the UK government has raised serious legal and ethical concerns.
Legal and moral implications
For years, the UK and U.S. have cooperated closely in efforts to curb Caribbean drug trafficking, sharing intelligence under joint counter-narcotics frameworks. However, British officials now fear that by continuing to supply intelligence, the UK could become “complicit in potentially unlawful lethal actions.”
Legal advisers to the British government have reportedly warned of possible liability if British personnel or resources are used in support of U.S. operations that could violate international humanitarian law.
The situation is particularly complex because a Royal Navy officer is currently embedded aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer operating in the Caribbean as part of a larger deployment that includes patrols near Venezuelan waters. That close integration, sources say, has made it difficult for London to ensure that shared intelligence is not being used for offensive military purposes.
Disagreement over “combatant” status
The Trump administration has defended the strikes, arguing that drug traffickers in the region act as armed combatants within the context of counter-narcoterrorism operations.
The UK government, however, disputes this classification, asserting that such actions fall outside the scope of lawful combat. British officials believe that continuing intelligence sharing under these circumstances would amount to “new complicity” in potentially unlawful killings.
While the suspension does not represent a total freeze in Five Eyes intelligence cooperation, it is considered a significant and unprecedented step. British authorities say the decision will remain in effect until legal and operational safeguards are reassessed and clarified.
Dutch response remains cautious
The UK’s move contrasts sharply with the more cautious stance of the Netherlands, which has so far avoided open confrontation with Washington.
During previous episodes of U.S.–Venezuela tension, The Hague emphasized the importance of international legal norms but sought to maintain dialogue rather than escalate disagreements. The Dutch government has consistently aimed to prevent the Kingdom — with its Caribbean territories — from being drawn into U.S. military operations near the Venezuelan border.
The UK’s suspension highlights growing unease among Western allies about the militarization of anti-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and the blurring of lines between law enforcement and combat in regional security policy.
