Trump declares drug cartels operating in Caribbean unlawful combatants
By Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press and Lisa Mascaro, The Associated Press
Thursday, Oct 2, 2025
President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict,” according to a Trump administration memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, after recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.
A person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly said the Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials on Wednesday.
The move comes after the U.S. military last month carried out three deadly strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. At least two of those operations were carried out on vessels that originated from Venezuela.
Pentagon officials could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a matter that was a major source of frustration for some of the lawmakers who were briefed, according to the person.
https://www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/10/02/trump-declares-drug-cartels-operating-in-caribbean-unlawful-combatants/
