The UK government has reportedly ceased intelligence sharing with the US following airstrikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. This decision marks a significant departure from the longstanding collaboration between the UK and the US. The move is said to have been prompted by growing concerns over the legality of lethal US strikes off the Latin American coast.
Previously, the UK had been assisting the US Coast Guard in tracking down drug smugglers operating in the region. Suspicious vessels would be intercepted, drugs confiscated, and crew members detained. However, the dynamic shifted when US President Donald Trump authorized lethal strikes on multiple vessels near Venezuela. British intelligence estimates that these strikes have resulted in the deaths of 76 individuals and have breached international laws.
Following the initial strikes in September, the UK halted intelligence sharing with the US. The Trump administration justified the actions by claiming the targeted boats were transporting fentanyl, a substance linked to the opioid crisis in the US. There have been debates over the classification of those onboard as “enemy combatants” and the nature of the armed conflict with the US.
Tensions have escalated within US Southern Command, with Admiral Alvin Holsey reportedly offering to resign during discussions with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Admiral Holsey is set to step down from his position in December, barely a year into his tenure. Concerns over the airstrikes come amid a backdrop of rising opioid-related deaths in the US, with fentanyl seizures along the southern border reaching alarming levels.
As of mid-2025, US Customs and Border Protection had confiscated over 4,182kg of fentanyl, predominantly at the southern border with Mexico. The opioid crisis has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the US, with a significant portion attributed to fentanyl overdoses. The Mirror has reached out to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for comments on these developments.