Donald Trump, according to reports, is planning a major expansion of his war on drug cartels. This could include sending American soldiers and intelligence agents into Mexico for a direct attack against cartel activities.
Officials stressed that while training and preparations at the early stages have begun, no decision had been finalized and deployment was not imminent. Trump is still weighing options to expand U.S. anti-cartel operations across the Western Hemisphere.
NBC News citing U.S. officials, as well as two former senior U.S. government officials, said that planning has already begun for an unprecedented operation: American boots on the ground in Mexico, targeting cartel strongholds and drug laboratories, along with trafficking routes.
Title 50 is a status that allows elite military units to operate with the authority of the Intelligence community, rather than standard military commands. This designation permits covert operations that are typically supervised by the CIA. Officials say they would be involved in this operation.
This plan is a departure from previous administrations that quietly helped Mexico’s police and military without approving direct U.S. strikes on Mexican soil. Trump has not made it a secret that he is willing to adopt a more aggressive stance.
A senior official in the Trump administration told NBC that “the Trump administration will use a whole-of-government strategy to combat threats from cartels to American citizens.”
U.S. Special Forces would use drones to target cartel leaders and drug laboratories under the new framework. To ensure accuracy, some drone systems need operators on site to operate them. This means that American troops may be deployed to the ground in order to direct operations.
In early 2018, the Trump Administration officially designated six Mexican cartels, along with MS-13 (and Venezuela’s Tren De Aragua) as terrorist foreign organizations. This gave the U.S. intelligence and military agencies broad powers to spy on them and conduct covert operations around the world. Trump has himself confirmed that CIA missions were authorized in Venezuela, and has indicated his intention to take similar actions against cartels in Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican president at that time, publicly denied any idea of U.S. involvement.
We reject all forms of interference or intervention. She said, “It’s very clear that Mexico collaborates with other countries, but it does not submit itself to them.”
Despite this, the cooperation between both countries continues to grow. Mexico, under Sheinbaum, has reportedly increased fentanyl seizure, allowed for expanded CIA spy flights and extradited dozens high-profile cartel leaders to the United States.
Trump, however, has expressed his doubts about Mexico’s capacity to manage its cartels. Trump stated last month that he had “great respect” for Mexico’s president. He described her as a woman whose character he admired. She’s an extremely brave woman but Mexico is controlled by cartels.
Trump’s campaign against cartels has included strikes that have killed people on suspected drug ships near Venezuela. Pentagon figures indicate 64 deaths across 15 attacks, but officials haven’t provided any details on the targets and evidence to confirm cartel connections. The Trump administration touts the campaign despite limited information. According to the president, years of traditional law enforcement failed in their efforts to stop the flow of drugs that killed tens and thousands of Americans each year.
Plan to launch special operations and drone attacks inside Mexico is a significant expansion of this effort, one which could redefine U.S. involvement in the fight against international drug networks. The proposal is still in planning, but Trump’s commitment to the project cannot be questioned.
