Saturday, March 29, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his campaign against international narcotics trafficking, saying his administration is “fully ready” to carry out missions targeting drug smugglers on foreign soil — and that Congress would be notified before any ground operation.
Speaking to reporters at a White House event, Trump signaled a stepped-up approach after a series of recent actions his administration says destroyed eight aircraft alleged to be carrying illegal drugs. He indicated that the next phase could include strikes and missions directed at drug networks operating from other countries.
“If we do anything on the ground, we will go back to Congress,” Trump told journalists in the Oval Office. “We are allowed to do this, and if we do it on land, we may go back to Congress and tell them what we will do when we go into the country (to carry out ground operations). We don’t have to do it, but I would like to.”
According to the report, Trump asserted his administration has the legal authority to strike drug-trafficking aircraft in locations such as Venezuela. He added that, should the decision be made to target traffickers on foreign territory, the administration would seek the appropriate legal backing and brief Congress beforehand.
The president further told the audience that his enforcement campaign has produced tangible results at home: roughly 3,200 alleged cartel members have been arrested in the past month, he claimed. “You know they will always complain, but we had to go after them. So we did,” Trump said.
Reuters-style reporting in the article notes that the White House’s statements emphasize a blend of military, law-enforcement and legal measures — including cross-border strikes on planes suspected of carrying narcotics — while stressing consultation with Congress if boots-on-the-ground operations are contemplated.
The announcement raises questions about the legal, diplomatic and security ramifications of any expanded U.S. actions on foreign soil. Targeting traffickers inside another sovereign country would likely require either that country’s consent, a U.N. mandate, or specific congressional authorization — and could prompt fierce debate in Washington and diplomatic pushback from affected nations.
Trump framed the policy as part of a broader effort to choke supply routes and punish traffickers, while stressing compliance with legal processes for any future ground operations.
