President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House. (Photo: AP)

President Donald Trump has declared that drug cartels operating in the Caribbean are unlawful combatants. He also said that the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict.”

A US official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday that Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials on Wednesday.

Who is an unlawful combatant?

International law defines an unlawful combatant as an individual who directly participates in armed conflict but does not meet the criteria of a lawful combatant, such as being part of a recognized army or militia.

In the US, Taliban and Al Qaeda members captured after the 9/11 attacks were previously designated as unlawful comb

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