President Donald Trump has stepped up the US military presence in the Caribbean

President Donald Trump has stepped up the US military presence in the Caribbean

President Donald Trump has declared that the United States is engaged in "armed conflict" with drug cartels, his administration said in a notice sent to Congress after recent strikes on boats off Venezuela.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Thursday, is designed as a legal justification for at least three recent strikes in international waters that have killed at least 14 people.

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.