US President Donald Trump said he does not intend to seek congressional approval to order additional attacks on drug traffickers, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
“I don't think we necessarily need to seek a declaration of war“, Trump told reporters. “We'll just kill the people who bring drugs into our country“, he added, answering a question about why he had not sought formal authorization from Congress after he had already declared war on the drug cartels.
According to the US Constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but only Congress has the authority to declare war. In practice, however, many presidents have circumvented this procedure by using other legal mechanisms for military action.
Trump hinted that the fight against drug cartels would be conducted not only at sea but also on land, adding that he "may" inform Congress of the next steps. "But I don't think they would mind," he said.
The president did not specify when or where the next operations would be carried out. In recent weeks, the US military has attacked boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean that are believed to be transporting drugs.
According to media reports, more than 30 people have died in these strikes, which has drawn criticism because the White House has not yet presented a legal justification for the actions.