Marco Rubio Rips EU Critics Who Claim Drug Boat Strikes Violate ‘International Law’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unleashed a fiery defense of the U.S. military’s aggressive anti-cartel operations in the Western Hemisphere, slamming European officials who accused Washington of violating international law.

Speaking from a G-7 summit in Canada, Rubio directly rebuked European Union critics who raised objections to recent U.S. strikes on cartel-run vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, calling their claims hypocritical and unserious in the face of an ongoing narcoterrorism crisis.

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

Rubio emphasized that the strikes — which have already destroyed around 20 cartel-operated boats and submarines — are a direct response to an accelerating threat from narcoterrorist groups trafficking fentanyl and cocaine into the United States.

“The United States is under attack from organized, criminal narcoterrorists in our hemisphere,” Rubio said. “And the president is responding in the defense of our country.”

Rubio: ‘Blatant Double Standard’ from Europe

Rubio also pointed out what he called a glaring contradiction in the stance of U.S. allies in Europe. “I do find it interesting that all these countries want us to send and supply, for example, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to defend Europe, but when the United States positions aircraft carriers in our hemisphere, where we live, somehow that’s a problem?”

According to the Secretary of State, the Biden-era doctrine of globalism has been replaced under President Trump with a renewed focus on defending the U.S. homeland. Rubio said the ongoing operation — which includes a carrier strike group positioned near Venezuela — is not only justified, but long overdue.

“This president has made very clear his job is to protect the United States from threats against the United States,” Rubio stated. “And that is what he is doing in this operation.”

Europe Balks, Allies Pull Back

Despite U.S. assurances that the targets are exclusively drug-trafficking vessels operated by criminal organizations, some European leaders have accused Washington of overreach. According to The Washington Post, British intelligence agencies have reportedly stopped sharing cartel-related data with U.S. counterparts, citing fears of complicity in strikes that may violate “international law.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot went a step further, telling reporters at the summit that the U.S. operations “violate international law” and could “destabilize the region.”

So far, the White House has not responded to those claims directly. But Rubio’s comments make clear the administration isn’t seeking European approval — and won’t be asking for it anytime soon.

U.S. Military Hits 20+ Cartel Vessels

The current U.S. military campaign is one of the largest anti-cartel operations in modern history. Alongside aircraft carriers, the U.S. Navy has deployed a fleet of guided missile destroyers, surveillance drones, and Navy SEAL teams tasked with locating and destroying drug-smuggling submarines and speedboats before they reach American waters.

Officials say the effort is part of a broader strategy to crush Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) that have flooded American streets with fentanyl and triggered a deadly addiction crisis. The Pentagon has framed the campaign as both a national security mission and a public health necessity.

“This is about protecting Americans from the poison being shipped into our country,” a Defense Department spokesman said earlier this week.

Trump Administration Holding the Line

The growing tension with European allies over the strikes hasn’t fazed the Trump administration. If anything, it has reinforced the White House’s determination to act unilaterally when it comes to protecting the American people.

Rubio made it clear that criticism from foreign diplomats would not change the course of action.

“This operation is not about pleasing foreign governments. It’s about ending the slaughter of Americans by drug cartels operating with impunity in our backyard,” he said.

For now, the strikes continue — and Washington isn’t backing down.