Trump Declares Drug Cartels “Unlawful Combatants,” Says U.S. in Armed Conflict After Caribbean Strikes
President Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Trump has formally declared that international drug cartels are “unlawful combatants” and announced that the United States is now engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” following a series of recent U.S. military strikes on suspected smuggling boats in the Caribbean, according to an administration memo obtained by multiple outlets, including the Associated Press and the New York Times.
A source told the AP that Pentagon officials briefed Congress about the designation on Wednesday. Lawmakers were reportedly frustrated that Pentagon officials could not provide a clear list of the organizations at the center of the conflict. The move follows three U.S. strikes last month against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, at least two of which originated from Venezuela. Democrats have argued that Trump should seek congressional authorization for such operations under war powers law.
According to the Times, the official notice to lawmakers said Trump determined that cartels qualify as “nonstate armed groups” and that their activities “constitute an armed attack against the United States.” The notice continued: “Based upon the cumulative effects of these hostile acts against the citizens and interests of the United States and friendly foreign nations, the president determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations.” In international law, the phrase “non-international armed conflict” is usually applied to civil wars.
The memo mentioned only one of the three strikes—the September 15th attack on a boat the administration said was transporting narcotics from Venezuela, CNN reported. “Although this strike was limited in scope, U.S. forces remain postured to carry out military operations as necessary to prevent further deaths or injury to American citizens by eliminating the threat posed by these designated terrorist organizations,” the notice stated.
Criticism quickly followed on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers from both parties, as well as human rights organizations, raised concerns that Trump’s action may represent an overreach of executive authority. Critics warned that the President’s framing of cartel operations as an “armed conflict” could open the door to extraordinary wartime powers without congressional oversight.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a sharp response. In a statement to CNN, Reed argued that the administration had provided “no credible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these strikes.” While acknowledging that cartels are a serious threat, he insisted their crimes must be addressed primarily through law enforcement, not unilateral military escalation. Reed continued: “By the President’s own words, the U.S. military is now engaged in armed conflict with undefined enemies he has unilaterally labeled ‘unlawful combatants,’ and he has deployed thousands of troops, ships, and aircraft against them. Yet he has refused to inform Congress or the public. Every American should be alarmed that their President has decided he can wage secret wars against anyone he calls an enemy.”
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