Classified DOJ Opinion Authorizes Lethal Strikes on Cartels, Sources Say

DOJ Legal Opinion on Lethal Strikes

• ⚖️ A classified legal opinion from the Justice Department claims the power to designate drug traffickers as enemy combatants.
• ⚡ This opinion argues the president can authorize deadly force against a secret list of cartels and suspected traffickers posing an imminent threat to Americans.
• 🚫 The authorization allows for lethal strikes without due process, arrest, trial, or prosecution, likened to actions against terrorist groups.

Expanded Presidential War Powers

• 🚀 This memo is seen as pushing the legal bounds of presidential power, potentially granting authority for war more expansive than post-9/11 powers.
• 🌍 The strategy appears to be viewed as an entire Western Hemisphere mission, with intentions to expand beyond Venezuela.

US Military Actions and Venezuela

• 🚢 The U.S. military has conducted at least four strikes on boats in the Caribbean, targeting individuals affiliated with drug cartels.
• 🎯 Actions are being taken against figures like Nicolas Maduro, who is indicted as a narco-terrorist drug trafficker.
• 🇻🇪 Venezuela is described as being run by a drug cartel responsible for flooding the US with drugs and aiding terrorists.
• 💥 The administration appears to be gearing up for potentially larger actions, with Venezuela serving as a proving ground for this legal theory and military strategy.