President Donald Trump has intensified the U.S. campaign against drug cartels, conducting four strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and refusing to rule out actions inside Venezuela. The administration notified Congress of a 'non-international armed conflict' with smugglers, prompting debates over legality. Experts suggest this marks a bold shift in U.S. counter-narcotics strategy.
The Trump administration's aggressive stance began with a lethal strike on September 19, 2025, targeting a vessel linked to a designated terrorist organization in the U.S. Southern Command's area, as announced by Trump on Truth Social. Since then, three more fatal strikes have hit alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, part of an effort to curb drug inflows. On September 30, the White House sent lawmakers a memo declaring U.S. participation in a 'non-international armed conflict' with drug smugglers.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force in the Southern Command region, stating on X: 'The aim of the task force is to "crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe." The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold.' Trump echoed this rhetoric, telling military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30 that his administration would 'look very seriously at cartels coming by land' and threatening to 'blow you out of existence.'
To support these efforts, the U.S. deployed Navy guided missile destroyers to the Caribbean starting in August, with deployments expected to last months or longer, according to Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute. Geoff Ramsey of the Atlantic Council noted that such actions signal a 'next level' approach, potentially targeting sites inside Venezuela, though challenges include dismantling its air defenses without engaging its military directly. Ramsey highlighted a recent incident where U.S. forces did not respond aggressively to Venezuelan F-16s over a destroyer, indicating reluctance for broader conflict.
Critics, including Senators Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine, introduced a war powers resolution in September to block hostilities against non-state groups, calling the strikes 'plainly unconstitutional' for lacking congressional authorization. The measure failed 51-48 in the Senate, with support from Republicans Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski, but Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch defended Trump, saying he has the 'authority and duty' to counter threats killing Americans.
Experts like Nathan Jones of Rice University predict minimal impact on fentanyl flows, which primarily route through Mexico from China, but anticipate shifts away from Caribbean sea paths.