French FM slams US Caribbean strikes as 'disregard of int'l law'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 08:33

Jean-Noel Barrot says US strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean could destabilize French overseas territories.

Listen

A screengrab from footage released by the Pentagon shows a US military aircraft tracking a speedboat in the Caribbean before an impending strike, claiming that the boat carried narcotics in the eastern Pacific, on November 9, 2025 (X/@SecWar)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday criticized recent military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, carried out by the United States, saying the operations “disregard international law” and could destabilize territories where France has citizens.

“We have observed with concern military operations in the Caribbean region because they disregard international law and because France has a presence in this region through its overseas territories, where more than a million of our compatriots reside,” Barrot told reporters as G7 foreign ministers met in Niagara Falls.

“They could therefore be affected by the instability caused by any escalation, which we obviously want to avoid,” he added.

His comments followed a CNN report claiming that the United Kingdom had suspended intelligence-sharing with the US in the Caribbean over concerns it could face criminal liability if found complicit in the attacks.

US response and denials

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against reporting that Britain had suspended intelligence-sharing with Washington over the strikes, calling the report a “false story” and insisting that cooperation remains intact.

“Nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we’re doing,” Rubio said.

“Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing,” the top US diplomat stated.

Rubio also told reporters that the strikes, which the US has alleged are aimed at “narco-terrorists” and drug traffickers, were not raised with him during the G7 session.

Scale of the campaign and remaining questions

The US military has carried out multiple strikes against such vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts of Latin America. Reporting places the number of strikes in recent weeks at around 19 and attributes at least 70–76 deaths to the campaign.

Washington has not released full public evidence or a detailed legal justification for using lethal force at sea rather than interdiction and arrest.

International legal concerns

Legal scholars, independent United Nations experts, and some governments have questioned the strikes’ conformity with international law. A group of independent UN experts said last month that “the use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis violates the international law of the sea and amounts to extrajudicial executions." Other international lawyers have argued the operations may amount to serious breaches of both international and domestic law if due process and target identification were insufficient.

At least two countries, the UK and Colombia, have reportedly reviewed and stopped intelligence-sharing with the US in the Caribbean.

The remarks came as G7 foreign ministers gathered under Canada’s chair to discuss a range of issues, including Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. While the meeting’s agenda remained focused on those crises and aid measures, Barrot’s intervention highlighted growing transatlantic unease over US unilateral military action in the Western Hemisphere and underscored the diplomatic strain between Washington and its allies over the strikes.