The United States in an armed conflict with drug cartels: Trump's new strategy – Rezazade

The administration of US President Donald Trump has officially notified Congress that the country is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels that distribute drugs in the United States.

The corresponding notification was submitted to the Senate and relevant committees, providing legal justification for military strikes against suspected drug traffickers, in particular against ships that the administration calls Venezuelan.

According to Trump, this is a "non-international armed conflict" with "terrorist organizations" that have caused the deaths of American citizens through drug trafficking. The president instructed the Pentagon to act in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

However, a number of congressmen and experts criticized the administration's approach. The leader of the Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed, said that the White House had not provided evidence or legal grounds for the strikes, which could qualify as an illegal use of force against civilian criminals. “Every American should be concerned that the president considers it possible to wage secret wars against anyone he declares an enemy,” the senator said.

International expert Ali Reza Rezazade, the first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, believes that the Trump administration’s move is unprecedented in recent US history.

“What we are seeing today is a mix of the fight against organized crime and military operations. Designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations paves the way for the use of the army where law enforcement agencies previously operated. This sets a dangerous precedent, because “armed conflict” is a legal term that can legitimize strikes against any entities recognized as a threat,” Rezazade emphasizes.

According to him, the geopolitical implications of the decision are obvious: “The Trump administration is trying to increase pressure on Venezuela and the Maduro regime. Linking drug cartels to Caracas, even if intelligence data does not confirm this, is being used as a basis for Venezuela’s international isolation.”

The expert also emphasizes that this approach could lead to tensions with Latin America and Europe: “Many US allies will be wary of the practice of conducting military operations against criminal groups without proper legal grounds. This raises questions about the balance between national security and international law.”

Declaring an “armed conflict” with drug cartels could change the rules of the game in the fight against drug trafficking. For the US, this is a chance to increase pressure on Latin America and demonstrate a tough policy on the eve of the elections. But for the international community, it is a disturbing signal about the possible expansion of the practice of military interventions under the pretext of combating organized crime.