Deep below the US Capitol, in a secure room meant to protect discussions of American secrets, a wave of sarcastic laughter spread among lawmakers and staff members who were assembled to receive a briefing in late October from senior Pentagon officials.

The Navy rear admiral and a top civilian adviser to the defense secretary had made the trip to Capitol Hill to walk lawmakers through an accelerating string of strikes that to date have now claimed 80 lives . The attacks were part of a campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at disrupting the operations of drug cartels.

But in a meeting the lawmakers expected would center around growing concerns over whether the military had the legal right to kill traffickers without knowing their identities and without trial, the two Pentagon b

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