Trump’s illegal Caribbean strikes are the wrong way to combat cartels

The Trump administration has ramped up military operations across the Caribbean in recent weeks, including attacks on targets the U.S. alleges are trafficking drugs. In doing so, Washington is further blurring the line between law enforcement and military operations, utilizing questionable authorizations while providing few details on strikes targeting small vessels said to be from Venezuela. These actions raise serious questions about both the balance of power between U.S. branches of government and how the military adheres to transparency in its operations.

As of this writing, U.S. military personnel have targeted and destroyed at least three small vessels in the Caribbean that the administration claims were Venezuelan cartel-operated drug smuggling ships. Those strikes occurred