French minister says US airstrikes in Caribbean ‘illegal under international law’

G7 foreign ministers have pressed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the legality of recent American airstrikes in the Caribbean, which Washington claims targeted suspected drug smugglers.

The issue was raised during a G7 meeting at Niagara Falls, chaired by Canada, where discussions were meant to focus on Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. However, the U.S. operations—ordered by President Donald Trump—dominated attention after reports emerged that at least 75 people have been killed in 19 U.S. strikes since September.

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, openly questioned the legitimacy of the attacks, warning they could destabilize the region. “These military operations disregard international law,” Barrot said, noting France’s presence in the Caribbean through its overseas territories. “Our compatriots could be affected by any escalation, which we want to avoid.”

Barrot’s remarks followed a CNN report alleging that the U.K. has suspended intelligence-sharing with the U.S. in the Caribbean over concerns of potential legal liability. Rubio dismissed the story as “false,” insisting U.S.-U.K. cooperation remains “very strong.”

“The Europeans don’t get to dictate how we defend our national security,” Rubio told reporters, defending the strikes against what he called “narco-terrorists.” He added that drugs from Venezuela also reach Europe, implying the U.S. should be thanked, not criticized.

International law experts and some European diplomats disagree. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters that such operations are only justifiable under self-defence or a UN Security Council resolution.

The U.S. vice-president, JD Vance, has taken a more defiant stance, saying bluntly: “I don’t give a shit what you call it.”

Trump has authorized every strike, arguing that Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro leads a “narco-terrorist regime.” Maduro has accused Washington of “fabricating a war” to justify a coup attempt.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has now entered the U.S. Southern Command’s area of operations, covering Latin America and the Caribbean, escalating tensions further.

Legal experts, including Yale Law School professor Oona Hathaway, have condemned the strikes as potential war crimes. “Dropping bombs on people when you don’t know who they are is a breach of international and domestic law,” Hathaway said.

While the U.S. cites Article 51 of the UN Charter—which allows self-defence in cases of armed attack—UN experts countered that lethal force in international waters without a legal mandate “violates international law and amounts to extrajudicial executions.”

Meanwhile, G7 host Anita Anand of Canada said the main focus of the summit remains on supporting Ukraine, with Britain announcing £13 million to help rebuild its energy grid after renewed Russian attacks. London also unveiled new bans on Russian liquefied natural gas shipments.

The ministers also discussed calls for a ceasefire in Sudan, though progress remains stalled amid continued arms flows to both sides. Anand said she was “absolutely horrified” by the humanitarian toll and pledged that the G7 would “support those suffering and dying needlessly.”