The Netherlands will no longer take part in US-led counter-narcotics operations in in the Caribbean, citing concerns over the use of military force, according to Ruben Brekelmans, Dutch Minister of Defence.
Speaking during a visit to Aruba, Brekelmans said the Netherlands will restrict its drug enforcement activities to its own territorial waters and will not participate in Operation Southern Spear, a US-controlled mission targeting suspected drug vessels at sea.
“We have worked together with the Americans on counter-narcotics for many years, but in a different way,” Brekelmans said. “When we see drug smuggling, we try to arrest and prosecute those responsible. Not by shooting ships.”
“Outside our territorial waters, we see that the Americans have now chosen a national route again,” he said. “The method and the operation the United States is carrying out now, they are really doing that themselves. We are not participating in that.”
Key points:
• • The US-launched operation began in September 2025 and has reportedly killed over 100 people in more than 20 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels.
• Dutch authorities will continue law-enforcement-led counter-narcotics within their jurisdiction.
• The decision reflects concern over US methods, not cooperation itself.
The Netherlands’ policy shift follows recent United States military strikes in Venezuela, part of Operation Absolute Resolve, in which US forces carried out large-scale attacks and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas on 3 January 2026; both have since been transferred to the US to face federal narcotics and related charges.
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