Overview

• The memo reported by U.S. media says cartel personnel are designated as unlawful combatants, with some groups labeled terrorist organizations and their actions deemed an armed attack on the United States.
• Officials present the classification as a legal rationale for past and potential operations after three recent strikes on suspected smuggling boats in international waters left 17 people dead.
• Lawmakers from both parties voice oversight concerns, with Senator Jack Reed saying the administration provided no credible legal basis, evidence or intelligence for the strikes.
• Legal experts including Geoffrey S. Corn and Brian Finucane question whether cartels meet armed conflict thresholds, warning the framing could permit lethal force without imminent threat and allow detention or military tribunals.
• Venezuela condemns the U.S. actions as extrajudicial and reports five U.S. combat jets near its coast, while critics note the focus on Venezuelan-linked targets despite the U.S. fentanyl crisis largely tied to Mexican supply chains.