President Donald Trump has thrust the United States into a new era of overseas military action, declaring drug cartels operating in the Caribbean as “unlawful combatants” and asserting that the country is now engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with these groups. This dramatic shift, outlined in a memo sent to Congress and first reported by The Associated Press and other major outlets, follows a series of deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, with at least two of the targeted boats originating from Venezuela.
The announcement, delivered to Congress by Pentagon officials on October 1, 2025, comes on the heels of a rapid escalation in U.S. military operations in the region. According to Reuters and France 24, at least three strikes were carried out by U.S. forces in late September, resulting in the deaths of 14 to 17 people, depending on varying official tallies. The first strike, on September 2, targeted what the Trump administration described as a drug-carrying speedboat operated by the Tren de Aragua gang—a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. earlier this year. In a video posted by Trump on Truth Social, a burning vessel was shown as evidence of the operation, though Reuters noted that some portions of the footage were blurred, making full verification difficult. Still, Reuters stated, “there was no evidence of manipulation.”
The Trump administration’s memo, as quoted by the AP, laid out the rationale for this new approach. “Although friendly foreign nations have made significant efforts to combat these organizations, suffering significant losses of life, these groups are now transnational and conduct ongoing attacks throughout the Western Hemisphere as organized cartels,” it read. The memo went on to state, “Therefore, the President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.”
This argument marks a significant departure from past U.S. policy. Traditionally, drug cartels have been treated as criminal entities, subject to law enforcement efforts and international cooperation. By framing the cartels as non-state armed groups akin to terrorist organizations, the Trump administration is invoking wartime authorities that grant the president sweeping powers to use military force—without the need for explicit congressional approval. The memo, according to The New York Times and AFP, did not specify which cartels were included in this designation, although the focus has been on Venezuelan groups like Tren de Aragua.
Predictably, the move has ignited a firestorm of debate within Washington. Lawmakers from both major parties have expressed deep unease about the legal and constitutional ramifications of the administration’s actions. According to The Associated Press, several senators who attended a classified briefing on the matter felt the administration was “pursuing a new legal framework that raised questions particularly regarding the role of Congress in authorizing any such action.”
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army officer, minced no words in his public criticism. “Every American should be alarmed that Pres Trump has decided he can wage secret wars against anyone he labels an enemy,” Reed wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the memo became public. “Drug cartels must be stopped, but declaring war & ordering lethal military force without Congress or public knowledge – nor legal justification – is unacceptable.” Reed also stated, “The Trump Administration has offered no credible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these strikes.”
Others echoed Reed’s concerns. Legal experts and human rights observers, cited by AFP and Al Jazeera, have questioned the legality of the strikes under both U.S. and international law, with some likening them to extrajudicial killings. Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group and former U.S. State Department lawyer, was particularly blunt in his assessment. On Bluesky, he remarked that there was “so much wrong” with the administration’s legal justification, dismissing the claim that drug smuggling constituted an “armed attack” on the United States as “baloney.”
Despite these objections, the Trump administration has stood firm. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told AFP, “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. He is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans.” Another White House official emphasized that the notice to Congress was legally mandated after any military attack, adding, “It does not convey any new information.”
The military operations themselves have been substantial. According to France 24, Trump last month dispatched 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico and sent eight warships and a nuclear submarine to the Caribbean—marking the largest U.S. military deployment in the area in over three decades. The stated aim: to combat drug trafficking across the Caribbean to the United States. Tensions with Venezuela have risen sharply as a result, with Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino denouncing U.S. military flights near his country’s shores as a “provocation” and a “threat to our national security.” President Nicolas Maduro has accused Trump of attempting regime change under the guise of anti-drug operations.
The administration’s strategy also raises the specter of a broader conflict, as the Pentagon’s memo explicitly describes the United States as being in “armed conflict” with the cartels. Yet, under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war or authorize the use of military force. There is no current Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that applies to these strikes in the Caribbean. Lawmakers have therefore come under pressure to assert their war powers and ensure that the legislative branch maintains its constitutional role in decisions of war and peace.
While some members of Trump’s Republican Party have cheered the attacks, seeing them as a necessary escalation in the fight against drugs, others—across the political spectrum—warn of the dangers of unchecked executive power. As the debate rages on Capitol Hill, the White House has so far declined to provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a point of frustration for several lawmakers briefed on the matter.
Ultimately, the Trump administration’s aggressive posture in the Caribbean represents a profound shift in U.S. policy, blurring the lines between law enforcement and military action, and raising critical questions about legality, oversight, and the future of America’s global role. As the situation continues to unfold, the country—and the world—will be watching closely to see whether Congress reasserts its authority, or whether the president’s war on cartels sets a new precedent for unilateral military action abroad.
