What constitutional authority did President Trump invoke when he signed a secret directive on August 8, 2025, ordering the Pentagon to prepare military options against drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations?

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What constitutional authority did President Trump invoke when he signed a secret directive on August 8, 2025, ordering the Pentagon to prepare military options against drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations?

Accepted Answer

On August 8, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a classified presidential directive—a National Security Presidential Memorandum—invoking his Article II Commander-in-Chief authority to order the Department of Defense to prepare military options against major Latin American drug cartels that his administration had designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1189). (, )

What constitutional authority did President Trump invoke when he signed a secret directive on August 8, 2025, ordering the Pentagon to prepare military options against drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations?

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