CIA Assessing its Powers to Kill Drug Smugglers Abroad: Report
WASHINGTON — The CIA is
assessing its authority to kill drug smugglers who bring deadly fentanyl and other narcotics into the United States as the Trump administration grapples with the opioid epidemic.
The review — which does not indicate that President Trump has ordered the CIA to kill drug smugglers — is designed to “help the agency understand what kinds of activities it could legally undertake and what the potential risks would be across the suite of options,”
CNN reported Monday, citing an anonymous official and three people briefed on the matter.
The assessment comes just weeks after the Trump administration formally listed eight Latin American cartels — including six from Mexico —
as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in February for their involvement in drug and human trafficking.
That designation opened a trove of new options the White House can use to target the cartels, granting the administration access to “enhanced counterterrorism authorities” — including the ability for Trump to launch covert operations.
The review comes weeks after the Trump administration formally listed eight Latin American cartels — including six from Mexico — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations for their involvement in drug and…
nypost.com