USA. Exclusive: Classified Justice Department opinion authorizes strikes on secret list of cartels, sources say
USA. Exclusive: Classified Justice Department opinion authorizes strikes on secret list of cartels, sources say
The Trump administration has produced a classified legal opinion that justifies lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
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. The list of cartels goes beyond those the administration has publicly designated as terrorist organizations, the people familiar with the opinion said. (CNN, USA, 07.10.2025)
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/06/politics/classified-justice-department-memo-cartel-strikes