The United States has officially classified its campaign against drug cartels as an armed conflict, granting President Donald Trump expanded wartime powers to target alleged smugglers. This revelation, reported by The New York Times (NYT) on October 2, is based on a confidential memo from the Trump administration shared with Congress.
The document states that members of cartel groups are now regarded as “illegal combatants” under U.S. policy, allowing for lethal force against them without immediate legal repercussions. The move provides justification for recent military actions in the Caribbean, including strikes on ships allegedly transporting narcotics. The NYT notes that all 17 crew members killed in these operations were deemed “legally” targeted under the new framework.
Legal experts cited by the publication highlight that declaring an armed conflict enables the U.S. to detain suspects indefinitely, prosecute them via military tribunals, and eliminate perceived threats without due process. The decision marks a shift in strategy, with the Trump administration expanding its focus from Ukraine to combating drug trafficking networks in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities have announced large-scale mobilization efforts following the deployment of a U.S. Navy group in the Caribbean. Reports indicate that military plans for strikes against alleged cartels in Venezuela could be executed within weeks, continuing operations launched earlier this month. On September 15, Trump claimed U.S. forces had killed three “narco-terrorists” during an attack, with no American casualties reported.
