The White House has formally declared a "non-international armed conflict" against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, according to a memo sent to Congress and reported by U.S. media. The move signals a significant shift in Washington's approach to combating transnational crime, framing cartels as "non-state armed groups" engaged in "ongoing attacks" across the Western Hemisphere.
While the memo did not name specific cartels, it cited their "transnational" operations and justified recent military actions—including a November incident where U.S. forces sank three boats near Venezuela, killing 17—as acts of "self-defense" against "unlawful combatants." The Trump administration has deployed over 6,500 troops to the Caribbean, with warships patrolling key drug-trafficking routes.
Critics, including Senator Jack Reed, argue the administration lacks "credible legal justification" for the strikes and warn of unchecked executive power. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the U.S. military buildup as a "pretext for regime change," despite a 2020 DEA report noting Venezuela is not a primary source of U.S.-bound drugs.
The legal and geopolitical implications of labeling cartels as combatants in an "armed conflict" remain contentious, raising questions about international law and regional stability in Latin America.
