Overview

• The notice to congressional committees says the United States is in a non‑international armed conflict with designated cartels and labels suspected smugglers unlawful combatants under the law of armed conflict.
• The memo states the president directed the Department of War to conduct operations against these groups, describing cartel activities as armed attacks against the United States.
• U.S. forces carried out at least three strikes on Caribbean boats in September that officials said were cartel‑linked, killing 17 people, with publicly released videos but limited evidence offered of seized contraband.
• Pentagon officials briefed lawmakers on the legal rationale, yet some members and defense officials reported being caught off guard, and the notice did not provide a full list of designated organizations.
• Lawmakers and legal experts are challenging the assertion of wartime authorities and warning of extrajudicial killings, as Venezuela‑linked groups such as Tren de Aragua have been designated terrorist organizations and reporting has described draft options for potential strikes inside Venezuela.