Trump calls cartels terrorists. Is that enough to go to war?

Nearly a quarter century after the September 11th attacks, the Trump administration is using the language of terrorism to target a new enemy: Latin American drug cartels.

The president says we’re in armed conflict with drug cartels.

We talk to a Bush-era lawyer who says the powers of war are too extraordinary to use against crime.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org. This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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