U.S. strikes against suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean have killed dozens of people who President Donald Trump’s administration calls drug-trafficking terrorists responsible for thousands of deaths in the United States.

The administration has said it has “every authorization needed” for the strikes, but is facing increasing skepticism from allies over U.S. military operations in the Caribbean.

Here is a look at the legal authority for the strikes.

WHAT IS THE U.S. DOING?

The U.S. military has carried out at least 19 strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts of Latin America, killing at least 76 people.

The strikes dramatically depart from the traditional approach of using the U.S. Coast Guard to intercept maritime drug

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