UPDATE 1-US military hikes operational command of counter-narcotics operations in Latin America

* Task force to be led by Marine unit from Camp Lejeune * Strikes on suspected drug boats raise legal questions * Trump mulling possible strikes on land in Venezuela (Recasts with details, U.S. military statement) By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) – The Pentagon announced on Friday it is establishing a new counter-narcotics joint task force overseeing operations in Latin America, a move aimed to strengthen already intensifying military operations that raised questions among legal experts. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the task force aimed "to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe." "The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold," Hegseth said on X. So far the missions have focused entirely on striking suspected drug boats in the waters of the Caribbean. The U.S. military has blown up at least four so far, killing 21 people. The U.S. military's Southern Command, which oversees U.S. operations in Latin America, said the new task force would be led by II Marine Expeditionary Force, a muscular unit capable of rapid overseas operations which is based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The U.S. military's Southern Command said the II MEF, as it's known in military parlance, would "synchronize and augment counter-narcotics efforts across the Western Hemisphere." "By forming a (task force) around II MEF headquarters, we enhance our ability to detect, disrupt, and dismantle illicit trafficking networks faster and at greater depth – together with our U.S. and partner-nation counterparts," Admiral Alvin Holsey, who leads Southern Command, said in a statement. It was unclear if the creation of the task force granted the U.S. troops in Latin America any additional authorities as President Donald Trump mulls potentially striking suspected drug trafficking sites inside Venezuela. In a statement, Marine Lieutenant General Calvert Worth, who leads the II MEF and will head the task force, suggested the focus was still operations at sea. “This is principally a maritime effort, and our team will leverage maritime patrols, aerial surveillance, precision interdictions, and intelligence sharing to counter illicit traffic, uphold the rule of law, and ultimately better protect vulnerable communities here at home," Worth said. The attacks have alarmed Democratic lawmakers and raised questions among some legal experts, who see Trump testing the limits of the law as he expands the scope of presidential power. The administration has not detailed what evidence it has against the vessels or individuals, has not said what type of munitions or platforms were used in the strikes or even what quantity of drugs the vessels were allegedly carrying. Some former military lawyers say the legal explanations given by the Trump administration for killing suspected drug traffickers at sea instead of apprehending them fail to satisfy requirements under the law of war, which requires several criteria to be met before taking lethal action – including first using non-lethal means like firing warning shots. Last week, the Pentagon disclosed to Congress in a notification reviewed by Reuters that Trump has determined the United States is engaged in "a non-international armed conflict", opens new tab with drug cartels. The document aimed to explain the Trump administration's legal rationale for unleashing U.S. military force in the Caribbean. (Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Chris Reese and Diane Craft)

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