President Donald Trump officially notified Congress that the U.S. is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, reclassifying key narcotics networks as “unlawful combatants” and terrorist entities.
In the formal memo, Trump directed the Pentagon to conduct operations under the law of armed conflict, giving legal justification for recent military strikes on suspected cartel vessels in the Caribbean. At least 17 people have died in those strikes, according to the document.
The memo frames cartel violence as attacks on U.S. interests and argues the military role is necessary to defend the nation against external threats posed by narco-terrorism. However, the move has drawn criticism from lawmakers and legal experts questioning whether the president is overstepping war powers and blurring lines between law enforcement and military action.
Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions are rising—Venezuela and other nations have condemned the strikes, and opposition leaders in Congress are exploring whether the authorization can be challenged under existing constitutional safeguards.