Trump declares WAR on cartels: US enters ‘non-international armed conflict’ in extraordinary escalation

Donald Trump has declared war on drug cartels and notified Congress that the United States is now in a ‘non-international armed conflict.’

The extraordinary escalation by the president follows a series of recent strikes on drug smuggling vessels operated by ‘terrorist organizations’ in the Caribbean.  

Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials at closed-door classified briefing on Wednesday.

It follows complaints by Democratic lawmakers that the strikes – including three deadly attacks on drug smugglers last month – are unlawful under the War Powers Act which requires the consent of Congress for military action. 

A memo sent to Congress on Wednesday said: ‘The President directed these actions consistent with his responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct foreign relations.’

‘The cartels involved have grown more armed, well-organized, and violent,’ the memo added. ‘They have the financial means, sophistication, and paramilitary capabilities needed to operate with impunity.’ 

Pentagon officials could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a matter that was a major source of frustration for some of the lawmakers who were briefed, a source revealed.

What the Trump administration laid out at the closed-door classified briefing was perceived by several senators as pursuing a new legal framework that raised questions particularly regarding the role of Congress in authorizing any such action, the person familiar with the matter said. 

As the Republican administration takes aim at vessels in the Caribbean, Democratic senators and lawmakers have raised stark objections.

Some had previously called on Congress to exert its authority under the War Powers Act that would prohibit the administration’s strikes unless they were authorized by Congress.

The first military strike, carried out on September 2 on a drug-carrying speedboat, killed 11 people.

The boat was operated by the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, which was listed by the US as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

The Trump administration has justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

But Democratic senators and human rights groups questioned the legality of Trump’s action.

They called it potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes.

By claiming his campaign against drug cartels is an active armed conflict, Trump appears to be claiming extraordinary wartime powers to justify his action. 

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committees, said the drug cartels are ‘despicable and must be dealt with by law enforcement.’

‘The Trump Administration has offered no credible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these strikes,’ said Reed, a former Army officer who served in the 82nd Airborne Division.

The Trump administration has yet to explain how the military assessed the boats’ cargo and determined the passengers’ alleged gang affiliation before the strikes