A new Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) circulating in Washington could grant the US president sweeping authority to wage military campaigns against drug cartels worldwide, potentially justifying interventions in more than 60 countries.

The proposal, reportedly spearheaded by Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), is modeled on the 2001 AUMF passed after the September 11 attacks, which has since been used to justify US operations in at least 22 countries. Critics warn the new draft is even broader, leaving targets undefined and imposing no geographic limits.

Harvard Law professor Jack Goldsmith called the measure “extremely broad … an open-ended war authorization against countless countries, organizations, and individuals the president may include within its scope.”

Expanding the 'war on drugs'

The initiative comes amid an escalation in the US “war on drugs.” Last month, the White House reportedly signed a secret directive authorizing attacks on Latin American cartels, followed by deadly airstrikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean under the pretext of smuggling drugs. Human Rights Watch condemned the strikes as “unlawful extrajudicial killings.”

The proposed AUMF would allow the president to use “all necessary and appropriate force” against states, organizations, or individuals designated as tied to “narco-terrorism", including those providing financial or logistical support.

Global reach of drug cartels

The Sinaloa Cartel, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration, operates in at least 47 countries, from Australia and China to Nigeria, Peru, and the UK. If the AUMF applied solely to Sinaloa, it could authorize US military action in at least 42 nations.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) could add Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Turkey, Uruguay, and Venezuela to the list. Other cartels, such as Tren de Aragua, also have transnational networks.

Washington has already labeled several Latin American countries, including Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela, as "high-priority drug transit states," citing “vital” US national interests.

Blurring the war on drugs and war on terror

Elizabeth Beavers, a law professor at Widener University, warned the draft leaves “a large amount of discretion in the hands of the executive to make determinations about who ‘counts’ within the scope of targeting."

If passed, analysts say the law would merge two of the US’ longest-running and most controversial campaigns, the war on drugs and the war on terror, into a single framework.

Critics fear it could entrench the US in open-ended conflicts across the Americas and beyond, giving the White House unchecked authority to expand military operations under the pretext of fighting “narco-terrorism".