U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the American military to prepare for operations against drug cartels in Latin America, some of which have been designated as “terrorist organizations” by his administration, according to multiple American media reports.
Trump has instructed the Pentagon to begin using military force against cartels officially classified as foreign terrorist organizations, creating a formal legal basis for military operations both on land and at sea in foreign territories, reported the New York Times.
The Wall Street Journal added that Trump has so far requested the Department of Defense to prepare and present him with operational options. Discussions are underway about deploying special forces units supported by intelligence agencies, with all operations planned in coordination with the governments of countries where the cartels operate.
While not confirming or denying press reports, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that Trump’s “absolute priority” is to protect national territory, highlighting his bold step in labeling foreign drug cartels as terrorist groups.
In February, the U.S. designated the international gang Tren de Aragua based in Venezuela, Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and six other criminal groups involved in drug trafficking as terrorist organizations.
In July, the Trump administration added the “Cártel de los Soles”, described as a Venezuela-based gang allegedly led by President Nicolás Maduro, accused of facilitating drug trafficking into the U.S. — accusations vehemently denied by Caracas.
The U.S. recently doubled its reward to $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest. Maduro is indicted by the U.S. justice system for drug trafficking, and his recent re-election is not recognized by Washington.
In March, during a speech before the U.S. Congress, Trump declared a “war” against Mexican drug cartels, calling them a “serious threat” to U.S. national security.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained on Catholic TV network EWTN that designating the cartels as terrorist organizations allows the U.S. to target their operations using intelligence and military force.
“We must treat them as armed terrorist organizations, not just drug traffickers. This is no longer a law enforcement issue; it’s a national security issue,” Rubio said.
Reacting to media reports, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reassured the public that there will be no U.S. military invasion of Mexico.
“The United States will not send troops to Mexico; we cooperate but there will be no invasion — this has been absolutely ruled out,” she stressed.
Sheinbaum’s administration has intensified efforts to demonstrate to Trump and his administration that Mexico is effectively combating the cartels, which Trump accuses of flooding the U.S. with drugs — especially fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the U.S.
