UK Suspends Intelligence Sharing with US Over Drug Strikes

The United Kingdom has suspended intelligence sharing with the United States on suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, citing concerns over the legality of recent American military strikes on such boats, according to sources familiar with the matter. The decision, reported this week, marks a rare rift between two of the closest intelligence allies and comes amid broader international criticism of the operations launched by the Trump administration since early September.

The strikes, conducted by the U.S. military in international waters of the Caribbean and Pacific, have targeted boats believed to be carrying narcotics from South America toward the United States. Officials say at least 75 people have been killed in the attacks, which the Pentagon has described as responses to vessels operated by designated foreign terrorist organizations involved in drug trafficking. The administration has labeled multiple cartels, including groups from Venezuela and Mexico, as national security threats due to their role in transporting drugs that contribute to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the U.S.

Britain, a key partner in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance that...