U.S. naval operations in the Caribbean intensify as Trump administration declares “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
The Trump administration has formally notified Congress that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, citing recent naval strikes on boats near Venezuela that left at least 14 people dead.
The notice, obtained by AFP, said President Donald Trump had classified the cartels as terrorist organisations and deemed their operations “armed attacks” against the United States.
It described suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants” a designation intended to legally justify U.S. military action in international waters.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the strikes, insisting the president acted in line with the law of armed conflict.
“He is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans,” Kelly said.
The Pentagon’s letter, required by U.S. law after any military engagement, was sent to Congress following a September 15 strike in the Caribbean. Officials say the move does not convey new information but reaffirms Trump’s legal authority for military operations.
Mounting Tensions With Venezuela
Venezuela’s government reacted sharply, accusing Washington of flouting international law. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said five U.S. fighter jets flew just 75 kilometers off Venezuelan shores, calling the flights a “provocation” and “a threat to our national security.”
In a statement, Caracas alleged that the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean jeopardized civil aviation and peace in the region.
Trump last month ordered one of the largest deployments to the Caribbean in three decades, dispatching 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico along with eight warships and a nuclear submarine. The operation, framed as a crackdown on narcotics trafficking, has heightened already tense relations with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
The U.S. also warned Venezuela after two of its military jets flew close to an American vessel, with Trump threatening to shoot down any aircraft that attempted similar maneuvers in the future. Maduro, for his part, has accused Washington of pursuing a covert strategy of regime change.
As the confrontation escalates, legal experts continue to question whether Washington’s framing of drug cartels as “terrorist groups” and its strikes in international waters align with international law.
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