Evening rundown for Thursday, October 2, 2025.

Trump Declares Drug Cartels ‘Unlawful Combatants,’ Citing Armed Conflict After Caribbean Strikes

President Donald Trump has designated drug cartels as “unlawful combatants” and declared that the US is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict,” according to a memo obtained and reported by the Associated Press on Thursday .

The move follows recent US military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, including two vessels that originated from Venezuela.

The first strike on September 2 killed 11 people, with Trump saying the boat was linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, which the US labeled a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

🚨 BREAKING: Trump admin tells Congress that US is now in ‘non-internation

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