Justice Department Faces Scrutiny Over Legal Justification for Venezuelan Boat Strikes
A bipartisan group of former federal ethics officials has requested an internal investigation by the Justice Department into the legal opinion that justified U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-running boats in South American waters. The officials, including Norm Eisen, Richard Painter, and Virginia Canter, argue that the legal guidance may have violated professional responsibilities by allowing lethal force against civilian foreign nationals. The Trump administration has defended these strikes as part of a 'non-international armed conflict' with drug cartels, which it has labeled as terrorist organizations. However, legal experts have questioned this classification, noting that drug cartels do not meet the criteria of organized armed groups under the law of armed conflict. 
