US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he has every authorisation needed for US military strikes on vessels just off the coast of Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal drugs.
Hegseth was speaking in a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday.
“We have every authorisation needed. These are designated as foreign terrorist organisations,” Hegseth said in an interview on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing.
He did not provide more details about the authorisation.
Washington has cited the US Constitution, war powers, designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, the right to self-defence and international law on unlawful combatants as the legal basis for the strikes.
Legal experts and some lawmakers argue that using military force in international waters against alleged criminals bypasses due process, violates policing norms, lacks a clear legal foundation under US and international law and is not justified by the cartels’ terrorist designation.
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