The United States is formally engaged in a “armed conflict” Drug cartel The administration of Donald Trump has given the Congress members label of “illegal fighters” as per a confidential notice.
A notice obtained by Independent This week was taken to the National Security Committees of the Congress. the new York Times First reported statements.
The designation claims extraordinary warfare to justify one Series of strike Against alleged narcotics smugglers in the Caribbean Sea Legal investigation and allegations Administration and defense officials committed extraordinary murder.
The administration has earlier stated that “the President-directed” attacks were carried out in defense of national security and “fully consistent with the law of armed conflict,” arguing that the fatal force was allowed against the goals against the smuggling of drugs for allegedly cartel-nominated foreign terrorist organizations.
According to the notice, the administration says that the President has “determined” that Cartel is “nonstate armed groups”, whose functions “form an armed attack against the United States” and are now engaged in a “non-non-cosmopolitan struggle”-or war with a non-state actor.
The administration cites a law required to report to MPs about the conflicts associated with American military personnel.
“The President made these tasks to protect the interests of Americans and the United States abroad and to protect the United States’ National Security and Foreign Policy interests, which is said in the notice, according to his constitutional rights as Commander In -Chief and Chief Executive to conduct foreign relations.
White house did not return immediately IndependentRequest for comment.
In recent weeks, at least 17 people were killed in targeted attacks on ships in Caribbean.
On 2 SeptemberTrump announced on truth socially that military property killed “Train de Argu Narcotorist”, who “was under the control of the President of Venezuela,” Nicholas Maduro, “the President of Venezuela, to smuggle drugs in the United States,, the President of Venezuela.
strike 11 people killed on boardTrump said. Venezuela officials have said that the people killed in the attack were not associated with the train de Argua gang, which the Trump administration has given a foreign terrorist group label, which should be briefly excluded from the country.
Trump announced Another strike 15 September He said that three “terrorists” died to allegedly carry drugs against another vessel, he said, said,
he announced A third strike 19 SeptemberClaiming that “intelligence confirmed” a vessel “was an illegal narcotics trafficking” and “transit with a known drug for Americans” with the passage. According to the President, at least three people were killed.
“Based on the cumulative influences of these hostile acts against the United States and friendly foreign nations, the President determined that the United States is in a non -military armed struggle with these nominated terrorist organizations,” according to the administration notice for the Congress.
The notice stated that defense officers have been ordered to conduct operations against them as per law of armed conflict. “
According to the notice, “The United States has now reached an important point, where we should use self -defense and force in protecting others against the attacks going on by these nominated terrorist organizations.”
It is not clear what evidence has been collected by the United States to justify the attacks; The White House and Defense Officers have refused to share additional information about the attacks citing national security concerns.
Legal experts and former National Security Officers have disputed the President’s legal right to start extraordinary murders against suspected drug smugglers, raising a resulting question on both Administration’s increasing struggle with Venezuela And the President’s anti -immigration agenda.
In January, Trump issued an executive order, in which Train D Argua was nominated as a foreign terrorist organization, which paves the way for its order Invite the Alien Enemies Act To deport suspected suspected gang members.
Neither the Foreign Enemy Acts nor the “Foreign Terrorist Organization” designation allows for fatal force.
Deploying fatal forces on suspicion of illegal activity “violates letters and emotion of more than a century of international standards and violates the United States rules for maritime operations against civilian ships in international water,” According to the Washington Office of Latin America, a human rights advocacy organization.
The administration claims that Cartel “illegally and directly causes the death of thousands of American citizens every year,” appears to confuse smuggling drugs with an armed attack in an attempt to justify military force, which the Congress has not approved.
According to Jack Reid, the top Democrat Senator of the Senate Armed Service Committee, “Every American should be worried that President Trump has decided that he can fought a secret war against any enemy.”
“Drug cartel should be stopped, but declare war [and] Order of deadly military force without Congress or public knowledge – nor legal justification – is unacceptable, ”he said.
Flowing in the United States, the administration of an international so -called “war” increases in an international so -called “war” following a significant decrease in law enforcement resources to combat illegal drugs.
Thousands of thousands of federal law enforcement offices including over 2,000 drug enforcement administration agents Divarted to support immigration enforcement.
That change has slowed down the prosecution of alleged drug smugglers, because the number of people accused on breaking the federal drug laws has fallen to the lowest level in decades, A Reuters analysis was found.
The Department of Justice is also planning to discontinue the organized crime drug enforcement work forces as part of an agency-wide reorganization plan, which will cut around 275 posts and will re-organize the roles for other 140 employees or eliminate roles, According to Reuters.