London Suspends Intelligence Cooperation with Washington over the Caribbean
Situation Assessment – Progress Center for Policies
Summary:
Britain has stopped sharing any intelligence with the United States regarding anti-narcotics operations in the Caribbean to avoid becoming entangled in a war that Washington is planning against Venezuela and other parts of Latin America. This development is striking given the historic “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States—particularly in security and defense.
Facts and Developments:
On November 11, 2025, U.S. sources revealed that Britain had ceased sharing intelligence with the United States concerning vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. British analysts interpreted this as London’s refusal to be complicit in American military strikes, which it believes to be illegal.
The suspension is unprecedented in the history of the “special relationship” between the two countries, signaling a rift in the long-standing intelligence partnership within the Five Eyes alliance, where Britain had traditionally provided intelligence from its Caribbean territories to support counter-smuggling operations.
Since September 2025, the United States has launched airstrikes on boats it claimed were involved in drug trafficking. These strikes have killed dozens of people of various nationalities, including Colombians and Ecuadorians.
The British decision is noteworthy given London’s close historical alignment with Washington—Britain has been a consistent partner in most U.S. military campaigns worldwide. As recently as March–May 2025, the U.K. was the only ally to join U.S. strikes against Yemen’s Houthi movement.
Diplomats interpret London’s move as a political message to Washington, rejecting the notion that the United States or its president should enjoy “supra-American” legitimacy for a potential military campaign in Latin America under the guise of counter-narcotics.
The United Kingdom maintains a presence in the Caribbean through five overseas territories: Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
For years, Britain has assisted the U.S. through intelligence assets in the region. British data helped identify the locations of suspected smuggling vessels so that the U.S. Coast Guard could intercept them.
Military experts note that the scale of U.S. deployments suggests this is about more than drug cartels. Reports mention about 10,000 U.S. troops, along with naval warships and B-52 bombers, indicating preparations for a potentially broad military operation rather than symbolic shows of force.
Observers view this escalation within the broader political confrontation between Washington and Caracas. Many do not rule out that the Trump administration may seek to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—thereby weakening Chinese and Russian influence in the region, given Venezuela’s vast oil and mineral reserves.
Analysts say British officials believe the U.S. strikes, which killed 76 people, violate international law. London reportedly halted its intelligence cooperation on this issue in October 2025.
Commentators add that London’s stance reflects concern that Washington has shifted its approach to drug trafficking from a legal-criminal framework to a political one. The Trump administration now authorizes the U.S. military to kill suspected traffickers, labeling them “enemy combatants” posing an “imminent threat” to Americans in an “armed conflict,” according to a memo sent to Congress.
The administration has also designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, asserting that its conduct “fully complies with the law of armed conflict”—the branch of international law intended to protect civilians.
Military and political experts believe London’s decision stems from fears of being drawn into a U.S.-driven war that serves Washington’s broader geopolitical aims—extending beyond narcotics control to targeting Venezuela and bringing other “rebellious states” in Latin America into line.
Reports also note that Britain’s position was influenced by internal U.S. skepticism about the campaign. Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of U.S. Southern Command, reportedly offered his resignation after a tense October 2025 meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, questioning the legality of the strikes. He is expected to leave his post in December 2025, just one year after his appointment.
Canada has also expressed reservations. Ottawa reportedly informed Washington that it does not want its intelligence used to support lethal strikes on suspected smuggling boats in the Caribbean.
On November 11, 2025, Colombian President Gustavo Petro similarly ordered his security forces to suspend intelligence sharing with U.S. agencies until the attacks in the Caribbean cease.
Conclusion:
Britain’s suspension of intelligence sharing over Caribbean vessels signals London’s rejection of U.S. political and military plans in Latin America that go beyond counter-narcotics operations.
The move marks an unprecedented rupture in the “special relationship,” showing cracks in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.
Britain’s decision deprives the U.S. of “supra-American” legitimacy for transforming the war on drugs into a campaign potentially aimed at regime change in Venezuela and subduing “rebellious” Latin American nations.
London’s position was influenced by bipartisan skepticism in Washington, along with divisions between U.S. military leaders and the Pentagon.
Canada and Colombia have also joined the opposition to the U.S. campaign, halting cooperation to protest the lethal targeting of suspected drug-trafficking boats.
The development leaves the United States increasingly isolated in its plans for a large-scale military campaign that could topple Maduro’s government and fuel domestic American debate over these policies.
