President Donald Trump has once again launched a strike against a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea. At War on the Rocks, Professor Geoffrey Corn, member of CERL’s Advisory Council, argues there are far-reaching consequences to invoking wartime powers to address what is by all measures a law enforcement problem. These attacks could lead to an interstate war between Venezuela and open the door to other countries using extraordinary measures to fight crime.  

Geoffrey S. Corn is the George R. Killam, Jr. Chair of Criminal Law and Director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law. A retired U.S. Army Judge Advocate Officer, he served as the Army’s senior law of war advisor. He is also a member of the CERL Advisory Council. Read his bio here.   

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.