Lawmakers have been pressing Trump to go to Congress and seek war powers authority for such operations. The first military strike, carried out on Sept. 2 on what the Trump administration said was a drug-carrying speedboat, killed 11 people. The Trump administration had previously justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. By claiming his campaign against drug cartels is an active armed conflict, Trump appears to be claiming extraordinary wartime powers to justify his action. The Trump administration has yet to explain how the military assessed the boats’ cargo and determined the passengers’ alleged gang affiliation before the strikes.