The White House is delighting in videos of the U.S. Navy blowing up alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. But if the administration wants to make real progress in the war on drugs, the military shouldn’t lead this fight.

The flotilla now deployed off the coast of Venezuela is formidable: It includes three destroyers, a guided-missile cruiser, a fast-attack nuclear submarine and three amphibious ships, carrying 2,200 Marines. F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 Reaper drones are based in nearby Puerto Rico. The stated goal is to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs through the Caribbean into the U.S. and to deter Venezuelan traffickers.

But the administration evidently has more ambitious plans. Media reports suggest the forthcoming National Defense Strategy will elevate the battle against cartels to a

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