"The opinion, which was produced by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and has not been previously reported, argues that the president is allowed to authorize deadly force against a broad range of cartels because they pose an imminent threat to Americans," reported Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen. “By this logic, any small, medium or big group that is trafficking drugs into the US — the administration could claim it amounts to an attack against the United States and respond with lethal force,” said one former Department of Defense attorney. The strikes have caused intense worry among legal experts, with even John Yoo, the former George W. Bush administration lawyer who defended the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay, stating, “There has to be a line between crime and war.
Author: Matthew Chapman
Published at: 2025-10-06 22:50:03
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