France accuses US of international law violations as 76 die in Caribbean boat strike

Jean-Noel Barrot, French foreign minister, says France is worried about the United States military operations in the Caribbean.

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.

On Tuesday, US officials said the Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, had moved into the region, adding to the eight warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft already in the Caribbean.

Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ summit in Canada, Barrot said the violence risks spilling into French territory.

“We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region, because they violate international law and because France has a presence in this region through its overseas territories, where more than a million of our compatriots reside,” Barrot said.

“They could therefore be affected by the instability caused by any escalation, which we obviously want to avoid.”

The deadly strikes forced the United Kingdom to suspend intelligence sharing with the US.

This pause, which began over a month ago, followed the US’ shift from law enforcement interdiction to lethal military action against the vessels.

Meanwhile,Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the US buildup is designed to drive him from power.

Trump has been a longtime critic of Maduro. In August, his administration doubled a reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, accusing him of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world”.

The reward now stands at $50 million.