President Donald Trump has declared U.S. drug cartels to be “unlawful combatants,” asserting that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with them, according to an administration memo obtained by the Associated Press.

The memo, tied to recent U.S. strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean, marks a sweeping use of presidential war powers by framing drug trafficking as armed conflict under the law of war.

The declaration allows the U.S. military to use lethal force and detain cartel members without trial, raising major legal and constitutional questions about congressional oversight.

The Pentagon confirmed multiple strikes in September, including one that destroyed a vessel and killed three alleged cartel members.

Critics warn the move stretches international law, while the White House says it fulfills Trump’s pledge to treat cartels as national security threats, the Associated Press has reported.

Congress was briefed in recent weeks, with lawmakers voicing concern about the new legal framework and its implications for future military action.