conflict,” according to a Trump administration memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, after recent US strikes on boats in the Caribbean. A person familiar with the matter who was not authorised to comment publicly said the Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials on Wednesday.

The move comes after the US military last month carried out three deadly strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. At least two of those operations were carried out on vessels that originated from Venezuela.

Pentagon officials could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a matter that was a major source of frustration for some of the lawmakers who were briefed, according to the person. Democrats have been pressing Trump to go to Congress and seek war powers authority for such operations. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. What the administration laid out at the closed-door classified briefing was perceived by several senators as pursuing a new legal framework that raised questions particularly regarding the role of Congress in authorizing any such action, the person familiar with the matter said. (Jamaica Gleaner)