An eighth US Navy warship has arrived in the Caribbean to intensify counter-cartel operations despite legal experts raising questions about the scope of military authority and the risk of mission creep.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Stockdale, has joined a growing US naval presence in waters overseen by US Southern Command.

Business Insider reports that Stockdale’s arrival brings the total number of US vessels in theatre to eight, part of an assertive attempt to disrupt maritime drug trafficking routes near Venezuela.

Officials frame the mission as a whole-of-government push to detect, monitor and interdict illicit flows - an effort now backed by high-end air power and a Marine crisis-response force.

US defence officials say Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments are embarked to conduct boardings and seizures where permissible.

The emphasis, they add, is on deterring cartels, protecting the US homeland and sustaining pressure on transnational criminal organisations.

US Navy vessels in the Caribbean

• USS Stockdale, guided-missile destroyer
• USS Jason Dunham, guided-missile destroyer
• USS Gravely, guided-missile destroyer
• USS Lake Erie, guided-missile cruiser
• USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, littoral combat ship
• USS Iwo Jima, amphibious assault ship (flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group)
• USS Fort Lauderdale, amphibious transport dock
• USS San Antonio, amphibious transport dock

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is embarked with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, a roughly brigade-sized crisis-response formation trained for evacuations, disaster relief and amphibious assaults.

Air power and surveillance

Alongside the ships, the Department of Defense has indicated F-35 Lightning II jets are supporting the mission, enhancing the networked intelligence picture and long-range targeting options in complex maritime environments.

US officials also acknowledge the presence of MQ-9 Reaper drones, a proven platform for persistent surveillance and cueing. Specific operating areas and tactics are being withheld for operational security.

The political and legal backdrop

The deployment decisions were taken by the US Secretary of Defense in support of the president’s directive to dismantle transnational criminal organisations and counter narco-terrorism.

The administration has designated several cartels as foreign terrorist organisations. Supporters argue the approach unlocks additional law-enforcement tools and international coordination.

Critics warn that treating cartel members as enemy combatants risks blurring lines between military and police powers and could test domestic and international legal frameworks if lethal force is applied at sea.

The State Department has posted a large reward related to Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, whom some US officials accuse of directing a criminal enterprise - claims he rejects. Recent lethal interdictions against Venezuelan boats have intensified scrutiny from lawmakers and legal scholars who urge transparent rules of engagement and clear congressional oversight.