US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is facing mounting criticism from his fellow G7 foreign ministers over Washington's military operations against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called these actions "disregard for international law", saying they could contribute to instability in the region and put France's overseas territories at risk.
The US has carried out at least 19 strikes in the region, killing at least 75 people, with President Trump approving all of them. The administration claims those targeted were transporting drugs, but has not provided evidence or a clear legal justification for attacking boats rather than arresting those on board.
In contrast, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that such strikes could only be justified as self-defence or by a UN security council resolution. US Vice President JD Vance has previously dismissed claims that the attacks amount to a war crime, saying he doesn't care what anyone calls it.
International legal experts have also weighed in, arguing that the US actions constitute a war crime. Oona A Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale Law School, said those undertaking these attacks know they are violating international law and domestic law by dropping bombs on people without knowing who they are.
Despite this criticism, Rubio pushed back against questioning the legality of the strikes, saying Europeans don't get to dictate how Washington defends its national security. He defended targeting "narco-terrorists" and said drugs are also shipped via Venezuela to Europe, so the US should be thanked for taking them out.
The US has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being a narco-terrorist with links between his administration and drug cartels, while Maduro accuses the Trump administration of fabricating a war plot in disguise. The situation remains tense, with both sides locked in a cycle of accusations and retaliation.
The US has carried out at least 19 strikes in the region, killing at least 75 people, with President Trump approving all of them. The administration claims those targeted were transporting drugs, but has not provided evidence or a clear legal justification for attacking boats rather than arresting those on board.
In contrast, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that such strikes could only be justified as self-defence or by a UN security council resolution. US Vice President JD Vance has previously dismissed claims that the attacks amount to a war crime, saying he doesn't care what anyone calls it.
International legal experts have also weighed in, arguing that the US actions constitute a war crime. Oona A Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale Law School, said those undertaking these attacks know they are violating international law and domestic law by dropping bombs on people without knowing who they are.
Despite this criticism, Rubio pushed back against questioning the legality of the strikes, saying Europeans don't get to dictate how Washington defends its national security. He defended targeting "narco-terrorists" and said drugs are also shipped via Venezuela to Europe, so the US should be thanked for taking them out.
The US has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being a narco-terrorist with links between his administration and drug cartels, while Maduro accuses the Trump administration of fabricating a war plot in disguise. The situation remains tense, with both sides locked in a cycle of accusations and retaliation.
... 19 strikes already? that's like, a lot! 
the thing is, they say it's about narco-terrorists but if ur just dropping bombs on people without knowing who they are, then thats like a war crime right there? 
and what about all them ppl killed so far? 75 is a big number... how do u justify dat? 
and btw, can't they just arrest the ppl transporting drugs instead of killing 'em? 
that would be way more humane imo
this is getting outta hand... 19 strikes already? 75 people dead? that's just crazy 
u can't just drop bombs on ppl without knowin who they r... it's like, basic human decency, right? 
international law is in place for a reason... we gotta respect it, not just because of what others think but cuz it's about doin whats rite 
The US is literally flouting international law left and right! 19 strikes in the Caribbean already, and who knows how many more? That's like, totally unacceptable. I mean, come on, if they're really concerned about narco-traffic, wouldn't arresting the people on board be a better option than taking out an entire boatload of innocent civilians? 
! I mean, can you believe they're already getting slammed for their military ops in the Caribbean? It's like, come on, guys, we need to talk about the rules of engagement here 
.
. But one thing for sure is that we need to get our facts straight and make sure we're not violating international law or something 
. Maybe we can get some of those international legal experts to weigh in and help us figure out what's going on? 
Anyway, I'm gonna keep an eye on this situation and see how it all plays out 
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. However, this approach overlooks the importance of international cooperation and the need for evidence-based decision-making in foreign policy matters 
. One can't help but wonder if this escalation will lead to further instability in the region or spark a larger conflict 
.
It's like, don't get me wrong, national security is important, but can't we find better ways to deal with problems without killing people? 
And what's with the "narco-terrorists" label? Is that just a fancy way of saying "we're not sure who these guys are or what they're doing, so let's just assume they're bad"? 
Newsflash, dude: international law isn't about being dictated to by anyone, it's about respecting human life. We need more transparency and accountability here, not just a whole lot of excuses