US boat strikes are crimes against humanity, says former ICC prosecutor

The Trump administration has sought to justify the strikes by saying it is in an armed conflict with drugs gangs.

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The comments by Luis Moreno Ocampo come as the Trump administration faces mounting questions over the legality of the attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific - which have killed at least 66 people in the last two months.

The administration says it is in a formal armed conflict with South American traffickers who are bringing drugs into the US.

But Mr Moreno Ocampo said the military campaign fell into the category of a planned, systematic attack against civilians during peacetime.

This, he said, meant that the campaign fell into the category of crimes against humanity.