President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday he plans to expand military strikes against drug cartels—moving from maritime strikes to land-based targets—and signaled he may act without seeking a formal congressional authorization of force.
During the exchange, Trump said bluntly, “I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we are going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country… They are going to be, like, dead.” Political Wire The president also said he would inform Congress of plans but suggested he could proceed even without its approval.
The comments come amid an ongoing U.S. campaign targeting vessels alleged to be smuggling fentanyl and other narcotics; U.S. strikes at sea have already been reported, and administration officials say there is a “secret list” of narco networks under consideration for further action.
Legal scholars warn unilateral land strikes against nonstate groups on foreign soil raise fraught constitutional and international-law questions, including whether such operations require congressional authorization and how they intersect with prohibitions on use of force.
The president’s comments set up a likely clash with lawmakers and civil-liberties advocates if the administration pursues strikes without clear congressional backing.
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