Kinetic attack target #20. Pentagon image.

The US Naval Institute News Service reports,

U.S. forces with Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere struck a go-fast vessel allegedly carrying illicit narcotics on Friday, killing four people aboard…A United Nations brief released Sunday alleges that the U.S. strikes violate international law.

“The United States military attacks are, however, contrary to international law, violate the human right to life, and plausibly constitute crimes against humanity,” Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights Ben Saul wrote in the brief.

The lethal kinetic attacks on suspected drug smugglers have been going on for a little over a year. Initially these kinetic strikes were centered in the Caribbean, near Venezuela. This most recent attack was in the Caribbean, but there have also been lethal kinetic strikes in the Eastern Pacific.

The kinetic attacks do seem to have slowed down but I don’t expect the UN’s report will have an effect on the administration.

The UN report may have some effect on our relations with nations that have been cooperating with the US on Drug interdiction. There were adverse reactions from Colombia and the UK when the attacks began.