President Donald Trump has announced his intention to formally notify Congress of upcoming U.S. military operations targeting major foreign drug cartels, describing the actions as “necessary to save lives.”

The declaration follows Trump’s October 2, 2025, confidential memorandum to national security officials, in which he formally defined the United States’ confrontation with transnational drug cartels—including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Central America’s MS-13—as a “non-international armed conflict.” This classification, typically used in wartime contexts, effectively authorizes the U.S. military to conduct precision strikes and special operations under wartime engagement rules, even beyond American borders.

According to administration sources, the planned operations are designed to dismantle cartel networks responsible for trafficking fentanyl precursors and narcotics that have contributed to a staggering public health crisis. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 100,000 Americans die annually from fentanyl-related overdoses.

“Drug cartels are not just criminal organizations—they are enemies of the American people,” Trump said during a briefing. “We will use every tool necessary to protect our citizens, and that includes decisive military action.”

The President’s comments come just weeks after U.S. Coast Guard and Navy forces intercepted several vessels in the Caribbean Sea, seizing an estimated $2.8 billion worth of fentanyl precursors believed to be en route to Central America. Those interdictions, officials say, exposed a complex maritime network linking Latin American cartels with Asian chemical suppliers.

Trump’s move to brief Congress aims to ensure legislative transparency ahead of any large-scale operations. Administration officials have described the approach as a combination of deterrence and disruption—sending a clear message to cartels that the United States is willing to engage militarily to protect its borders and citizens.

Critics, however, have voiced concern over the potential legal and diplomatic ramifications of labeling cartels as terrorist entities. Some lawmakers warn that such actions could blur the line between law enforcement and military intervention, raising the risk of regional escalation.

Nonetheless, Trump’s national security team has defended the strategy, arguing that existing measures have failed to halt the flood of fentanyl and synthetic drugs entering the U.S. “We are dealing with organized, violent, and well-funded networks operating as de facto armies,” one senior defense official said. “The President’s directive recognizes that reality.”

As the administration prepares to inform Congress, the initiative marks a defining shift in U.S. counter-narcotics policy—one that merges counterterrorism and anti-cartel operations under a single strategic doctrine aimed at curbing one of the nation’s deadliest modern crises.