President Donald Trump has formally declared that the United States is engaged in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, according to a notice sent to Congress following recent U.S. military strikes on boats off the Venezuelan coast.
The letter, obtained by AFP on Thursday, seeks to provide legal justification for at least three strikes in international waters that left 14 people dead.
The Trump administration has stepped up its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying warships and fighter jets as part of a wider crackdown on drug trafficking, further straining relations with Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
“The president determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States,” the Pentagon’s notice said. It also classified suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the operations, insisting they were lawful. “As we have said many times, the president acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores,” she told AFP. “He is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans.”
A White House official confirmed that the letter was sent to Congress after a strike on September 15, stressing it was a routine legal requirement. “It does not convey any new information,” the official said.
Venezuela Pushes Back
Caracas has accused Washington of aggression following the strikes and increased U.S. military activity near its borders. On Thursday, Venezuela said it detected “an illegal incursion” by five U.S. fighter jets flying 75 kilometers from its shores.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino denounced the alleged flights as a “provocation” and “a threat to our national security.” A government statement further accused the U.S. of violating international law and endangering civil aviation in the Caribbean.
The military build-up follows Trump’s decision last month to send 10 F-35 aircraft to Puerto Rico, eight warships, and a nuclear submarine in what officials described as the largest deployment to the region in more than 30 years.
Tensions spiked further when two Venezuelan jets reportedly buzzed an American naval vessel. Trump responded with a warning that any repeat would see Venezuelan aircraft “shot down.”
President Maduro has dismissed the operations as part of a covert attempt by Washington to push regime change in Venezuela.
