A former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, has asserted that US airstrikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific should be classified as crimes against humanity under international law. These strikes, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 66 people over the past two months, have sparked significant legal and ethical debates. The Trump administration defends the actions, claiming they are part of a formal armed conflict with South American drug traffickers. However, Moreno Ocampo argues that the campaign constitutes a systematic attack on civilians during peacetime, thereby meeting the criteria for crimes against humanity. He emphasized that the individuals targeted are civilians, not soldiers, and called for investigations and prosecutions rather than lethal force. The White House countered by stating that President Trump acted within the laws of armed conflict to protect the US from cartels and dismissed the ICC as a ‘biased, unserious entity.’ The administration also highlighted that the US is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC. The legal justification for the strikes has been questioned by experts, with former State Department legal adviser Brian Finucane describing the US position as ‘completely unconvincing.’ Meanwhile, the political response has been divided, with Republicans largely supporting the administration’s actions, while Democrats have raised concerns about the legality and lack of evidence. The situation has also strained US-Venezuela relations, with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemning the strikes as ‘heinous crimes.’
US boat strikes are crimes against humanity, says former ICC prosecutor
