President Donald Trump has formally declared that the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with South American drug cartels.
A memo obtained by the Associated Press shows the administration has now designated the cartels as unlawful combatants, marking a major shift in U.S. foreign policy.
The declaration comes after recent U.S. military strikes on narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean. Those operations destroyed vessels, narcotics, and killed cartel members attempting to smuggle drugs into America.
“The President determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” the memo states.
Trump directed the War Department to “conduct operations against them pursuant to the law of armed conflict,” per the Conservative Brief.
The administration argues that drug trafficking into the U.S. constitutes an attack on Americans that justifies the use of military force.
“The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations,” the memo adds.
According to the AP, the move provides new legal grounds for both past and future strikes. It frames cartel activity as an act of war, expanding the scope of presidential war powers.
Former Bush administration official Matthew Waxman criticized the decision. He told the AP that the declaration “means the United States can target members of those cartels with lethal force. It means the United States can capture and detain them without trial.”
Waxman described the shift as “a very, very far stretch of international law and a dangerous one.”
The White House defended Trump’s decision in strong terms. “As we have said many times, the President acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans,” the statement said.
Three strikes were carried out last month against boats in the Caribbean. At least two of the vessels reportedly originated from Venezuela. One September 15 operation “resulted in the destruction of the vessel, the illicit narcotics, and the death of approximately 3 unlawful combatants,” according to the memo.
The actions coincide with a major buildup of American naval forces in the region. The Navy has deployed eight warships and more than 5,000 sailors and Marines to the Caribbean in what officials have described as the largest buildup in years.
Pentagon officials briefed senators on the operations during a classified session this week. Some lawmakers interpreted the discussions as laying out a new legal framework for U.S. military action, raising concerns about Congress’s role in authorizing force.
House staffers were also given separate classified briefings on the strikes. The White House has declined to provide further details publicly, directing questions back to the administration.
The memo, which was first reported by The New York Times, now serves as both a justification for the strikes already carried out and a foundation for future action.
