US servicepersons involved in the fight against drug traffickers off the coast of Venezuela will not face criminal liability, reports The Washington Post (WP).

WP makes reference to a confidential internal memorandum from the US Department of Justice, which states that Americans will not be held responsible for strikes on boats that, according to the Pentagon, are used to transport drugs.

The WP article notes that this memorandum was prepared back in the summer by the legal adviser of the US Department of Justice. The 50-page document asserts that the US is engaged in an armed conflict that has no international importance, in which the US participates under certain presidential powers defined by law, and therefore, carrying out the aforesaid strikes is permissible from the standpoint of US national law.

The orders to carry out the strikes were given in accordance with the laws of armed conflict and are therefore considered lawful orders. US servicepersons are legally obliged to follow lawful orders and are thus not subject to prosecution for executing lawful commands, said a representative of the US Department of Justice.