Part 8/12:
President Trump publicly lauded these efforts, signaling that the U.S. would continue to hunt cartel leaders wherever they hide, whether on land or at sea. Such actions, however, have drawn criticism from some foreign governments, including Venezuela and Mexico, who claim that the U.S. oversteps its diplomatic and legal boundaries.
Treating Cartels as Foreign Combatants
In Washington, the administration's approach is clear: it treats the cartels not merely as criminal organizations but as foreign combatants engaged in acts of war. This paradigm shift allows the U.S. to employ military force more aggressively against cartel targets, further blurring the lines between law enforcement and military operations in anti-drug efforts.