The defense secretary alleged that four "narco-terrorists" were killed.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration told Congress that it believes it's engaged in "armed conflict" with drug cartels and that it believes anyone smuggling illegal drugs should be considered "unlawful combatants." The term is a legal one used during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by the government to justify lethal force by military troops as well as indefinite detention.
Putting drug runners in the same camp as al-Qaida fighters on the battlefield has prompted skepticism among legal experts who say the legal rationale is a stretch. It's also unclear which groups are being targeted.
One official on Capitol Hill told ABC News this week that lawmakers were interpreting the latest notice on the strikes as the administration "essentially waging a secret war against secret enemies, without the consent of Congress."