Reducing the power of cartels, an idea that dated back to the first Trump administration, would ease the flow of migrants and narcotics, creating early political wins. The order, details of which were previously unreported, contains permissive targeting guidelines for lethal operations, current and former officials said. Together, these two documents guided a military campaign of lethal strikes against criminal organizations, grafting a wartime frame to what has been traditionally treated as a law enforcement problem. Pursuant to these orders, the Trump administration has launched strikes on at least 26 boats, killing at least 99 people in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. I don’t see that in some of what [the U.S. is] doing right now.”One major contextual difference in the current operations against seaborne narcotics is the lack of congressional authority.

Source: Washington Post December 19, 2025 18:12 UTC