The Trump administration has determined that the US is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, according to a notification to Congress, offering further legal justification for recent strikes on alleged drug-runners from Venezuela.
The notice, sent by the Pentagon to Congress this week, says the US “has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks” by the groups, which President Donald Trump has also designated terrorist organizations.
A copy of the notice was obtained by Bloomberg. The New York Times reported the move earlier Thursday.
An automatic reply to an email seeking comment from the White House said a response may be delayed “due to staff shortages resulting from the Democrat Shutdown.” The Pentagon also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The language in the notification expands on one submitted to congressional leaders on Sept. 4, following an earlier US military strike against a purported drug trafficking vessel. At the time, Trump wrote: “It is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that will be necessary. United States forces remain postured to carry out further military operations.”
The latest notice says law enforcement efforts to stem the flow of illicit drugs over several decades have proven insufficient, with the substances becoming more potent, while “the cartels involved have grown more armed, well organized, and violent.”
