video screenshot

 

The Pentagon informed Congress that the US is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, declared as terrorist organisations by President Donald Trump. This decision leads to cartel smugglers being described as “unlawful combatants.” Consequently, the Defence Department sanctioned a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean last month, targeting cartel members.

 

Multiple strikes have been conducted by the US military, with at least three occurrences in the past month resulting in 17 fatalities. However, only the September 15 strike was outlined in the notice to Congress, not providing clarity on the absence of the other incidents. The strike in early September specifically targeted smugglers linked to the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua.

 

Pentagon's legal representative and uniformed officials briefed lawmakers, aligning with the written notice. Trump’s administration stresses that these cartels possess the paramilitary capability to threaten international security, justifying their designation as terrorist organisations. The military actions are presented as part of a sustained campaign, beyond isolated instances of self-defence.

 

Expert reaction varies. The notice outlines efforts to eliminate threats to American citizens by these cartels. Under Article II of the Constitution, Trump asserts the authority to initiate military action considered necessary for national interest without an act of Congress. The classification of cartel members as enemy combatants diverts from treating them as criminals with due process rights.

 

Democratic Senator Jack Reed expressed concern over the lack of transparent legal justification and evidence for the strikes. He emphasised the need for drug cartels to be addressed through law enforcement, expressing alarm that military efforts are being directed against these foes without Congressional input or public notification.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• US military engaged in “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
• Military strikes target designated terrorist groups linked to cartels.
• Concerns arise over lack of legal justification and Congressional oversight.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-10-03

 

 

Good.  Keep going Donald.  I wish you all success in this.  I hope you can address the legal side of this; I wouldn't want you to end up in the Hague like Duterte who led a similar effort in the Philippines with great success.  It's a shame that the Philippines is reverting back to the pre-Duterte era.

On 10/3/2025 at 10:04 AM, webfact said:

video screenshot

 

The Pentagon informed Congress that the US is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, declared as terrorist organisations by President Donald Trump. This decision leads to cartel smugglers being described as “unlawful combatants.” Consequently, the Defence Department sanctioned a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean last month, targeting cartel members.

 

Multiple strikes have been conducted by the US military, with at least three occurrences in the past month resulting in 17 fatalities. However, only the September 15 strike was outlined in the notice to Congress, not providing clarity on the absence of the other incidents. The strike in early September specifically targeted smugglers linked to the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua.

 

Pentagon's legal representative and uniformed officials briefed lawmakers, aligning with the written notice. Trump’s administration stresses that these cartels possess the paramilitary capability to threaten international security, justifying their designation as terrorist organisations. The military actions are presented as part of a sustained campaign, beyond isolated instances of self-defence.

 

Expert reaction varies. The notice outlines efforts to eliminate threats to American citizens by these cartels. Under Article II of the Constitution, Trump asserts the authority to initiate military action considered necessary for national interest without an act of Congress. The classification of cartel members as enemy combatants diverts from treating them as criminals with due process rights.

 

Democratic Senator Jack Reed expressed concern over the lack of transparent legal justification and evidence for the strikes. He emphasised the need for drug cartels to be addressed through law enforcement, expressing alarm that military efforts are being directed against these foes without Congressional input or public notification.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• US military engaged in “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
• Military strikes target designated terrorist groups linked to cartels.
• Concerns arise over lack of legal justification and Congressional oversight.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-10-03

 

 

once more, another shot at the Nobel Peace Award, just ask him...uh will he declare this another war that he has stopped?

The authoritarian Trump regime is now actively MURDERING nationals of nations the U.S. isn't at war at without any due process.

Any American that thinks that is OK is not a decent American. 

8 minutes ago, Watawattana said:

Good.  Keep going Donald.  I wish you all success in this.  I hope you can address the legal side of this; I wouldn't want you to end up in the Hague like Duterte who led a similar effort in the Philippines with great success.  It's a shame that the Philippines is reverting back to the pre-Duterte era.

Agreed. there has been a supposed war on drugs for decades without accomplishing very much to slow the traffic down on drugs being sent to the US. The cartels have more freedom, more weapons, more money all thanks to previous presidents reluctance to make the war on drugs be a real war. Causing millions of lives to be ruined and destroyed. Not just by the drugs the cartels send in to the US but by the crimes committed to purchase such drugs. 

If Trump can cease even 10% of the drugs entering the US by blowing up a few boats then hats off to him. He has done more than any other president. 

 

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The authoritarian Trump regime is now actively MURDERING nationals of nations the U.S. isn't at war at without any due process.

Any American that thinks that is OK is not a decent American. 

Yep Jimgthing - Trump is also the only authoritarian that follows the law.  Use a little common sense.  What we see and what you preach does not match.   Did you post when Biden ignored the Supreme Court on Student Load forgiveness?  This is what authoritarian regimes do.  Not follow the law.

1 minute ago, thaipo7 said:

Yep Jimgthing - Trump is also the only authoritarian that follows the law.  Use a little common sense.  What we see and what you preach does not match.   Did you post when Biden ignored the Supreme Court on Student Load forgiveness?  This is what authoritarian regimes do.  Not follow the law.

Lame whataboutism.

Trump does NOT follow the law. 

Do you think people are so stupid to actually believe that he does?!?

19 minutes ago, thaipo7 said:

Yep Jimgthing - Trump is also the only authoritarian that follows the law.  Use a little common sense.  What we see and what you preach does not match.   Did you post when Biden ignored the Supreme Court on Student Load forgiveness?  This is what authoritarian regimes do.  Not follow the law.

Common Sense,  Drug Cartels are a organized threat to  civilization! The Drugs, Gangs, financial  incentives have increased over the years ,its time Good Vs Evil sticks a pin in its progression. 

 

The people who preach authoritarian are usually radicalized leftist  extremists.

 

"The study on left-wing authoritarianism also showed that many times they do not practice what they so loudly preach.

Social justice is often used as a guise for these activists to behave unhinged, the research noted".

https://nypost.com/2023/05/25/left-wing-extremism-linked-to-psychopathy-narcissism-study/

If what the Trump regime is doing blowing up fishing boats without any due process is legit, where is the flippin' evidence that such outrages are justified? What's wrong with following due process and just not shoot first ask questions later murdering people? What kind of evil has taken power in Washington that normalizes this?

26 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Lame whataboutism.

so this is the Trump haters and Dem reply.. No reasonable explanations for it. Nothing to show any meaning except a few words used to insult or change the direction without offering anything to justify it. Pure propaganda. So Lame. 

Whataboutism" or "whataboutery" (as in, "but what about X?") refers to the propaganda strategy of responding to an accusation with a counter-accusation instead of offering an explanation or defense against the original accusation.

2 minutes ago, thesetat said:

so this is the Trump haters and Dem reply.. No reasonable explanations for it. Nothing to show any meaning except a few words used to insult or change the direction without offering anything to justify it. Pure propaganda. So Lame. 

Whataboutism" or "whataboutery" (as in, "but what about X?") refers to the propaganda strategy of responding to an accusation with a counter-accusation instead of offering an explanation or defense against the original accusation.

This isn't about Biden.

Stop deflecting.

57 minutes ago, thesetat said:

Agreed. there has been a supposed war on drugs for decades without accomplishing very much to slow the traffic down on drugs being sent to the US. The cartels have more freedom, more weapons, more money all thanks to previous presidents reluctance to make the war on drugs be a real war. Causing millions of lives to be ruined and destroyed. Not just by the drugs the cartels send in to the US but by the crimes committed to purchase such drugs. 

If Trump can cease even 10% of the drugs entering the US by blowing up a few boats then hats off to him. He has done more than any other president. 

 

We as a Country headed by leaders who don't take a knee to appeasing radical woke initiatives. Will never sympathize with Terror and its enterprizes !

 

"Venezuela remained a permissive environment for known terrorist groups, including dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the Colombian-origin ELN, and Hizballah sympathizers".

https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2020/venezuela

  

You'd better not be floating in a boat off the coast of Venuzuela.

 

Fight the cartels near you border , stop them from coming in.

Not attacking them in a faraway country.

There's no doubt that Trump is just itching for a war, and wants badly to be called The War Commander. 

 

 

Good. This too is over due by 40 yrs.

Oh wait, we had to have the war on drugs so people could get rich. 
That failed spectacularly.

Or did it ? The cartels exist in this current form because of the CIA

I thought POTUS had renamed the 'Defense Department' (Department of Defence) to Department of War. Or is that false news floating around?

He should go after the Sackler family. They created and profited from the opioid crisis.   Of course, they could just buy some Frump Coin and clear up the issue under the table.

Strange that no one thinks how to make people not want drugs. The drug runners are meeting a huge demand from people who need a fix. Find out what causes people to want drugs and sort that out. These wars on drugs will never end if the government neither knows nor cares what makes people want drugs.

4 hours ago, FlorC said:

You'd better not be floating in a boat off the coast of Venuzuela.

 

Fight the cartels near you border , stop them from coming in.

Not attacking them in a faraway country.

Yes. If you have the intelligence that a vessel or aircraft is carrying drugs either apprehend it on the high seas - and prosecute, or intercept it on arrival, and again prosecute.

 

The rest is the stuff of a Tom Clancy novel.

Drugs are smuggled up the west side of South America, not just the east. Time to get American boots on the ground as Trump wants. Even if it loses him the Nobel peace prize.

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There's no doubt that Trump is just itching for a war, and wants badly to be called The War Commander. 

 

 

 

He can't even walk in stairs anymore. 

I wonder how many Trump apologists on here who are cheering on his extra judicial killings were equally supportive of Thaksin’s “war on drugs” which he was ordered to wage by someone who cannot be named.

How long before he turns his attention to Thailand's drug lords?

13 hours ago, Purdey said:

Strange that no one thinks how to make people not want drugs. The drug runners are meeting a huge demand from people who need a fix. Find out what causes people to want drugs and sort that out. These wars on drugs will never end if the government neither knows nor cares what makes people want drugs.

The "war on drugs" has failed, totally and completely. America probably has the greatest demand for drugs on the planet, and it's symptomatic of a broken society. 

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Lame whataboutism.

Trump does NOT follow the law. 

Do you think people are so stupid to actually believe that he does?!?

Only MAGA is so stupid.

On 10/4/2025 at 3:23 PM, spidermike007 said:

There's no doubt that Trump is just itching for a war, and wants badly to be called The War Commander. 

 

 

So if you find a photo-shopped picture with Trumps head pasted on a body hanging on the cross, you will think he is wanting to be Jesus? Or perhaps you will find one with his head pasted on a ballerina wearing a Tu-Tu... You will say he wants to be a ballerina. Unbelievable the cr-p some people use to justify their thinking. 

 

On 10/3/2025 at 10:04 AM, webfact said:

The Pentagon informed Congress that the US is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, declared as terrorist organisations by President Donald Trump. This decision leads to cartel smugglers being described as “unlawful combatants.” Consequently, the Defence Department sanctioned a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean last month, targeting cartel members.

 

 
Trump is killing people on the open ocean without any due process. It's illegal and an international crime. The wording above is word-salad used to create an excuse to extra-judicially kill anyone who HE claims to fit the description.   Notice is is being done around Venezuela but nowhere else.  Using the same rational, he COULD have police extra-judicially shoot anyone on US streets whom he claims to be "drug-trafficers working for cartel gang."  But that's a bridge too far.  So instead he murders people in coastal waters or international waters off the coast of Venezuela - a country he wants to invade and whose oil he wants to steal for US corporate interests. This has little if anything to do with drug trafficking or cartels.  If it did, he'd begin extra-judically killing cartel members in Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, and in Central America. But he's only targeting boat around Venezuela,  This is actually Fascistic behavior based on lies.  Trump has no morals.  He's 100% about leveraging power into money.

1 hour ago, connda said:

But he's only targeting boat around Venezuela,

 

That didn't age well.  In fact, it was incorrect before it was posted.  They've blown up another drug boat, in the Pacific.

 

I'm not a fan of what he's doing.  But it's a lot better than "legally" going into (for example) Afghanistan to punish the Saudis who crashed planes into the WTC.   Or Iraq, because "He tried to kill my Daddy".  Or, going back further in recent history, into Central America for the bananas.

 

Drug cartels and their products kill tens of thousands of Americans every year.  Seems like taking a few of them out is a great idea.  Better than another forever war, in any case.  And maybe they'll be able to recruit fewer crew members for drug laden boats if there's a chance of being blown up.

 

Trump: "I am the most powerful man in the world.  I can extra-judicially kill anyone I want for any reason that I make up.  Any Venezuelan in a boat is a "drug trafficking, narco-terrorist, Chinese and Russian spy, and bad people who deserve to die."  In fact, anyone I don't like is a "drug trafficking, narco-terrorist, Chinese and Russian spy, and bad people who deserve to die."  And I'm so powerful, maybe one day I'll have the military start shooting "drug trafficking, narco-terrorist, Chinese and Russian spy, and bad people who deserve to die," right here on America streets!  All of those people who went to the "No Kings Day" protests and all the people who dare block ICE facilities are probably "drug trafficking, narco-terrorist, Chinese and Russian spy, and bad people who deserve to die."  We're going to stop fentanyl by labeling all people we don't like as "drug trafficking, narco-terrorist, Chinese and Russian spy, and bad people who deserve to die," and start shooting them in the streets.

MAGA:  <applause, cheering> 

 

10 minutes ago, impulse said:

That didn't age well.  In fact, it was incorrect before it was posted.  They've blown up another drug boat, in the Pacific.

 

Yep.  That just happened.  Read about it today.  But?  It's still an extra-judicial killing.  If the US can put a Hellcat missile into a boat, then it knows where the boat is, and they can stop it with a Coast Guard vessel, board it, and search it.  According to the Coast Guard's own statistics¹, 27% of boats suspected of carrying drug - have no drugs onboard.  So Trump is deliberately killing innocent civilians with no due process.  Trump: "I'm judge, jury, and executioner.  Sucks to be you." 

1. Source:  uscg.mil/budget and ohss.dhs.gov/topics/maritime.