President Donald Trump has officially declared that the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, according to a notice his administration sent to Congress, citing recent military strikes on boats near Venezuela that left at least 14 people dead.
The letter, obtained by AFP, was presented as a legal basis for at least three operations carried out in international waters. The Trump administration has significantly stepped up its military presence in the Caribbean — deploying warships, fighter jets, and even a nuclear submarine — as tensions rise with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
According to the Pentagon’s notice, Trump classified the cartels as “non-state armed groups,” designated them terrorist organisations, and declared their actions amounted to an “armed attack against the United States.” Suspected traffickers were described as “unlawful combatants.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the strikes, saying Trump acted “in line with the law of armed conflict” to stop cartels from “bringing deadly poison to our shores,” and argued the president was keeping his promise to “eliminate national security threats from murdering more Americans.”
The letter, reportedly sent after a September 15 strike, fulfilled legal requirements for Congress to be notified of US military action. A White House official added the document “does not convey any new information.”
Venezuela sharply condemned the operations, accusing Washington of violating international law. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said five American fighter jets were spotted just 75 kilometres from Venezuelan airspace, calling it a “provocation” and “threat to our national security.” Caracas also accused the US of endangering civil aviation in the Caribbean.
The deployment marks the largest US military build-up in the region in over 30 years. Last month, Trump sent 10 F-35s to Puerto Rico along with eight warships. After Venezuelan jets approached a US naval vessel, Trump warned that any repeat would see Caracas’ aircraft “shot down.”
Maduro has dismissed the escalation as part of a covert US regime-change agenda, while legal experts have questioned the legitimacy of Washington labelling drug smugglers as “unlawful combatants” under international law.
