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Trump's Military Strikes Face Bipartisan Legal Backlash

11/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration faced internal legal challenges over military strikes against alleged drug traffickers.
A senior military lawyer at U.S. Southern Command warned the operations could lead to extrajudicial killings.
Officials from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel overruled him.
The decision has drawn bipartisan criticism for lacking transparency about the legal justifications for the strikes, which have reportedly resulted in 82 deaths since September.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration faced internal legal challenges over military strikes against alleged drug traffickers.
A senior military lawyer at U.S. Southern Command warned the operations could lead to extrajudicial killings.
Officials from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel overruled him.
The decision has drawn bipartisan criticism for lacking transparency about the legal justifications for the strikes, which have reportedly resulted in 82 deaths since September.