Overview

• The classified OLC interpretation deems cartels an imminent threat and permits presidential use of lethal force against a wide, nonpublic target list.
• A Defense Department memo invoking the opinion asserts an armed conflict with cartels and labels cartel smugglers unlawful combatants.
• U.S. forces have carried out at least four attacks on Caribbean vessels the administration links to cartels, with the latest killing four, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
• Lawmakers have repeatedly requested the OLC opinion and related legal materials from the Justice and Defense Departments but have not received them.
• The administration has broadened CIA covert and lethal authorities in the region, while military and international-law attorneys question the campaign’s legality.