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Snapshot 6:Fri, Oct 3, 2025 9:35:09 PM GMT last edited by Nick

Trump Declares Drug Cartels 'Unlawful Combatants'

Trump Declares Drug Cartels 'Unlawful Combatants'

Trump Declares Drug Cartels 'Unlawful Combatants'
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, on Sept. 30, 2025. Image copyright: Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Trump's bold declaration of war against drug cartels represents decisive action against terrorist organizations who kill 100,000 Americans annually. These well-armed paramilitary groups constitute genuine threats requiring military response, not failed law enforcement approaches that have allowed cartels to operate with impunity for decades.

Trump's cartel designation shreds legal precedent by conflating drug trafficking with armed warfare, allowing extrajudicial killings without due process. This dangerous overreach bypasses Congress while targeting loosely organized criminal networks that don't meet organized armed group standards under international law.

Metaculus Prediction

There is a 28% chance that the United States will attack Venezuela before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


The Controversies



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© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.15.2

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.15.2