The Trump administration has quietly compiled a list of 24 so-called "designated terrorist organizations" (DTOs) that the US government claims are engaged in armed conflict with America, but evidence suggests that most of these groups are not even involved in such conflicts. This list is attached to a classified opinion produced by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which was submitted to justify the administration's deadly strikes on alleged drug smugglers at sea.
According to three government sources who spoke to The Intercept on condition of anonymity, the list includes the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua; Ejército de Liberación Nacional, a Colombian guerrilla insurgency; Cártel de los Soles, a Venezuelan criminal group that the US claims is "headed by Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals"; and several groups affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel. The full list has not been disclosed to all lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee.
Critics argue that this list is nothing more than a pretext for the administration's unauthorized military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, which have killed at least 70 people, including civilians. "The administration has established a factual and legal alternate universe for the executive branch," said Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in counterterrorism issues and the laws of war.
These strikes are also widely seen as illegal extrajudicial killings because they target suspected drug smugglers without any evidence that they pose an imminent threat to national security. "The Trump administration remains unable to provide any credible explanation for its extrajudicial and unauthorized military strikes," said Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Senate Republicans have blocked a war powers resolution aimed at preventing further strikes, with 49 senators supporting it and 51 opposing it. This failure is seen as a major victory for the administration's authoritarian agenda.
Experts also question how these DTOs were even identified, given that most of them are not recognized by any reputable intelligence agency or law enforcement organization. "If colleagues believe that a war against narco-traffickers in the ocean or a war against Venezuela is a good idea, then put an authorization on the table and debate it," said Sen. Tim Kaine, who led the resolution.
The administration has also refused to share the list of DTOs with Congress, citing national security concerns. However, critics argue that this secrecy is itself a threat to democracy, as it allows the executive branch to unilaterally wage war without any oversight or accountability.
Ultimately, these strikes are seen as a symptom of a broader authoritarian takeover of the US government by Trump and his MAGA loyalists. "What we're seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover," said The Intercept's editorial note.
The lack of transparency and accountability from the administration is alarming, especially given that this tactic has been used in far more extreme regimes around the world. As press freedom continues to be threatened by Trump's policies, it is essential for journalists and lawmakers to hold him accountable for his actions.
In short, this list of 24 DTOs is nothing but a smokescreen for the administration's extrajudicial killings and authoritarian agenda. We need to see the full list of groups that the government has given itself permission to attack without congressional authorization, as well as concrete evidence that these groups pose an imminent threat to national security.
"The bottom line is, these strikes are illegal," said Brian Finucane. "We need to push back on this lawless killing and a potential real, illegal war with Venezuela."
According to three government sources who spoke to The Intercept on condition of anonymity, the list includes the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua; Ejército de Liberación Nacional, a Colombian guerrilla insurgency; Cártel de los Soles, a Venezuelan criminal group that the US claims is "headed by Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals"; and several groups affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel. The full list has not been disclosed to all lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee.
Critics argue that this list is nothing more than a pretext for the administration's unauthorized military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, which have killed at least 70 people, including civilians. "The administration has established a factual and legal alternate universe for the executive branch," said Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in counterterrorism issues and the laws of war.
These strikes are also widely seen as illegal extrajudicial killings because they target suspected drug smugglers without any evidence that they pose an imminent threat to national security. "The Trump administration remains unable to provide any credible explanation for its extrajudicial and unauthorized military strikes," said Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Senate Republicans have blocked a war powers resolution aimed at preventing further strikes, with 49 senators supporting it and 51 opposing it. This failure is seen as a major victory for the administration's authoritarian agenda.
Experts also question how these DTOs were even identified, given that most of them are not recognized by any reputable intelligence agency or law enforcement organization. "If colleagues believe that a war against narco-traffickers in the ocean or a war against Venezuela is a good idea, then put an authorization on the table and debate it," said Sen. Tim Kaine, who led the resolution.
The administration has also refused to share the list of DTOs with Congress, citing national security concerns. However, critics argue that this secrecy is itself a threat to democracy, as it allows the executive branch to unilaterally wage war without any oversight or accountability.
Ultimately, these strikes are seen as a symptom of a broader authoritarian takeover of the US government by Trump and his MAGA loyalists. "What we're seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover," said The Intercept's editorial note.
The lack of transparency and accountability from the administration is alarming, especially given that this tactic has been used in far more extreme regimes around the world. As press freedom continues to be threatened by Trump's policies, it is essential for journalists and lawmakers to hold him accountable for his actions.
In short, this list of 24 DTOs is nothing but a smokescreen for the administration's extrajudicial killings and authoritarian agenda. We need to see the full list of groups that the government has given itself permission to attack without congressional authorization, as well as concrete evidence that these groups pose an imminent threat to national security.
"The bottom line is, these strikes are illegal," said Brian Finucane. "We need to push back on this lawless killing and a potential real, illegal war with Venezuela."
. This list of 24 DTOs seems like a pretty thin excuse for the Trump admin's military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific. I mean, who are these groups that are supposedly engaged in armed conflict with America? Venezuelan gangs? Colombian guerrilla insurrections? It sounds like a bunch of made-up excuses to me.
. How did they even get on this list? And why is it classified? That right there should raise some serious eyebrows.
. It's clear that they're trying to avoid accountability for their actions.
. I'm not buying it. We need concrete evidence that these groups pose an imminent threat to national security, and we need to see the full list of DTOs ASAP 
. Anything less is just a smokescreen for the admin's lawless killing spree 
the fact that they've compiled this list of "designated terrorist organizations" without any credible evidence is mind-blowing. I mean, who gets put on this list without even being accused of a crime? sounds like another excuse for trump to wage war without congressional approval 
and honestly, it's terrifying how much power the admin is trying to grab 
we need more transparency and accountability, not less 
. And now they're not even sharing the list with Congress, which is basically the ultimate no-go zone for secrecy 
. And what's up with the Senate Republicans blocking that war powers resolution? It feels like they're just going along with whatever Trump wants, no questions asked 
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i'm not buying it. we need more accountability, like i said before, and some serious changes to how this forum is run. maybe we can even try to get some mods who actually care about transparency and honesty? 
This whole thing is so shady. Like what even is the justification for targeting suspected drug smugglers in the ocean without any evidence? And now they're trying to justify it by saying these groups are involved in armed conflict with America... I don't think that holds up. It sounds like a total pretext for some kind of authoritarian takeover 
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. This is exactly what happens when you let power go to your head 
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. And the fact that they're keeping this list from Congress is just ridiculous 
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We need more transparency and accountability from our gov't ASAP 
. This whole thing just feels so...authoritarian 
like Tren de Aragua and Ejército de Liberación Nacional are legit DTOs? come on! 
70+ lives lost because of some dodgy list... what's next, just declaring war on Venezuela without any evidence? 
need more transparency and accountability from this admin ASAP