Trump declares war on cartels: U.S. enters ‘non-international armed conflict’ in extraordinary escalation | 2 Oct 2025 | Donald Trump has declared war on drug cartels and notified Congress that the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict.” The extraordinary escalation by the president follows a series of recent strikes on drug-smuggling vessels operated by “terrorist organizations” in the Caribbean. Trump’s declaration is intended to place an iron-clad legal framework around the military action. According to international law, a country may kill enemy fighters even when they pose no threat and detain them indefinitely without trial. Congress was notified about the declaration of war by Pentagon officials at a closed-door briefing on Wednesday. It refers to cartel members as “unlawful combatants” whose actions “constitute an armed attack against the United States.” The notice uses language from international law — “non-international armed conflict’ — which refers to war with a non-state actor.