U.S. Declares War on Caribbean Drug Cartels

President Donald Trump labels Caribbean drug cartels as unlawful combatants, placing the U.S. in a non-international armed conflict. The Pentagon informed Congress after recent military strikes against drug smuggling boats, particularly those originating from Venezuela.

In a bold move, President Donald Trump has categorized drug cartels in the Caribbean as unlawful combatants, indicating that the United States is now entangled in a 'non-international armed conflict.' This development was revealed in a memo from the Trump administration, obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.

An insider, requesting anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly, shared that the Pentagon officials had informed Congress about this significant designation on Wednesday.

This decision follows a series of U.S. military operations last month, which targeted alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. Notably, two of these strikes were conducted on vessels that originated from Venezuela, underscoring the serious stance the U.S. is taking against drug trafficking in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)