Trump administration tells Congress war law doesn't apply to cartel strikes [View all]

[Nevilledog]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/01/trump-venezuela-war-drugs-law/

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Gaiser said the administration did not believe the strikes met the definition of hostilities under the law and did not intend to seek an extension of the deadline nor Congress’s approval of ongoing action, according to three people familiar with the matter, who like others interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity.

“The administration appears to be blowing through the 60-day limit,” said a senior congressional aide.
Asked for comment, a senior administration official said that the War Powers Resolution did not pertain to the current situation, because, “even at its broadest … [it] has been understood to apply to placing U.S. service-members in harm’s way.”

The official said that the administration does not believe U.S. troops are in danger in the current operation against alleged drug cartels, so the law did not apply. “The operation comprises precise strikes conducted largely by unmanned aerial vehicles launched from naval vessels in international waters at distances too far away for the crews of the targeted vessels to endanger American personnel,” the official said in an email.

In essence, the administration official said, “the kinetic operations underway do not rise to the level of ‘hostilities.’”

“What they’re saying is anytime the president uses drones or any standoff weapon against someone who cannot shoot back, it’s not hostilities‚” said Brian Finucane, former legal adviser to the State Department and now senior adviser for the U.S. program at the International Crisis Group. “It’s a wild claim of executive authority.”

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