Former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has issued a stern warning against recent United States drone attacks on vessels in Caribbean waters, labeling them a “fundamentally dangerous and horrible erosion” of the region’s collective sovereignty. Patterson, who served as Jamaica’s leader from 1992 to 2006, expressed grave concerns over the US military’s confirmation of at least five such strikes since early September. He emphasized that these actions undermine the Caribbean’s longstanding commitment to being a zone of peace, a principle established during the region’s first integration meeting in 1972. The US administration, under President Donald Trump, justifies the strikes as targeting vessels suspected of transporting illegal drugs to the US, claiming 27 deaths so far, including six in the most recent incident on October 14. Patterson urged Caribbean heads of government to urgently convene and adopt a unified stance, referencing the 1997 Shiprider Agreement as a precedent for collective action. This agreement, enforced by Jamaica’s Maritime Drug Trafficking (Suppression) Act of 1998, permits US vessels to pursue and search suspected drug traffickers in Jamaican and international waters. The drone attacks have sparked fear among regional fisherfolk and maritime users, who fear becoming “collateral damage.” Patterson stressed that the strikes violate international law and pose a “clear and present danger to all maritime users,” urging CARICOM to reaffirm the Caribbean’s status as a zone of peace. Despite US claims, including one linking a destroyed vessel to the Tren de Aragua Cartel, no substantive evidence has been provided. Colombia’s president has disputed a US claim, stating a targeted boat was Colombian, not Venezuelan. Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, has yet to respond to inquiries on the matter.