Rubio dismisses outcry over US boat strikes in Caribbean

He tells G-7 that Europeans cannot dictate how America defends its national security

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Nov 12 pushed back against criticism from some American allies over the legality of US strikes in the Caribbean, saying Europeans do not get to dictate how Washington defends its national security.

Mr Rubio attended a Group of Seven (G-7) foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada’s Niagara region, where talks focused on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, but some countries present have raised concerns over US strikes against boats that the Trump administration says are carrying drugs.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the meeting on Nov 11 that the strikes “violate international law” and were concerning for France’s territories in the region.

The US military has carried out at least 19 strikes so far against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts of Latin America, killing at least 76 people.

Speaking to reporters before departing Canada, Mr Rubio said no one had raised the operations with him during the G-7 meeting.

However, he defended targeting what he called “narco-terrorists” and said drugs are also shipped via Venezuela to Europe, so the US should be thanked for taking them out.

“1 don’t think that the European Union gets to determine what international law is,’ Mr Rubio said. “They certainly don’t get to determine how the United States defends its national security.”