Overview

• The New York Times reported that the administration notified Congress it considers a non-international armed conflict to exist with drug cartels.
• The notification designates cartels as non-state armed groups and describes drug trafficking as a use of force against the United States.
• U.S. forces have attacked suspected narcotics vessels that departed Venezuela in the Caribbean, and the operations resulted in deaths.
• Democratic lawmakers, legal scholars, and human-rights organizations argue the classification lacks a lawful basis and risks expanding presidential war powers.
• Experts note that treating the situation as an armed conflict could permit lethal targeting beyond immediate threats, indefinite detention, and military trials.