Britain has halted intelligence sharing with the United States in protest of President Donald Trump’s campaign against narcotics smuggling in the Caribbean.
In September, American military operations began against boats operating in the region, which the White House claims were transporting drugs to the US.
British authorities are understood to fear that airstrikes could constitute violations of international law.
As such, they have suspended sharing information regarding movements in the region with the Pentagon.
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The suspension affects intelligence previously shared about maritime drug trafficking activities, with British officials expressing concern that their information might facilitate US strikes they consider potentially unlawful.
Previously, intelligence gathered from British overseas territories in the region had enabled American authorities to intercept maritime drug shipments with crucial surveillance data.
It was utilised by the US Coast Guard in vessel identification and non-lethal boarding and interception operations.
Sources indicate British authorities are now concerned about complicity in lethal measures currently being launched by the United States.
Britain has ended its intelligence sharing arrangement with the US in the Caribbean
|GETTY
No10 is understood to share United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk's evaluation that these strikes constitute “extrajudicial killings”.
The UK suspended intelligence contributions over four weeks ago as concerns mounted about the lethality of American operations, a source told CNN.
It represents a major departure from the close security bond shared by the UK and the US, often known as the special relationship.
Downing Street declined to confirm the intelligence suspension, with a No10 spokesman explaining: "We don't comment on security or intelligence matters."
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The US has launched a military campaign against alleged drug traffickers
|REUTERS
The spokesman emphasised America remains Britain's "closest partner on defence, security and intelligence" when speaking with the US broadcaster.
They added that operational decisions remain America's responsibility and determinations about international law violations rest with "competent international courts, not for governments to determine.
However, the move has sparked fury among some quarters. In a volcanic social media post, former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman fumed: "The special relationship is dead."
“It was killed by Keir Starmer and his lefty lawyer mates who live in a fantasy world detached from the rest of us.
“They hate strong leadership and decisiveness.
“You can always rely on this hopeless government to be on the wrong side of history,” she despaired.
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