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2d ago

Trump Authorizes Pentagon to Plan Military Strikes on Drug Cartels

The president’s classified directive tasks the Defense Department with drafting operational plans for overseas maritime incursions against designated cartels

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The Trump administration designated Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs as well as Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organizations in February.
Police officers work in a crime scene where a man was gunned down, as violence and economic turmoil escalate in Culiacan one year after the abduction and extradition of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to the United States, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jesus Bustamante/File Photo
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Overview

  • The secret order follows February’s designation of several drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations.
  • Pentagon officials have begun drafting operational plans for direct action at sea and on foreign soil under the new authority.
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally rejected any U.S. military deployment on Mexican territory, citing national sovereignty.
  • White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called the designations a homeland protection measure and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they unlock defense and intelligence tools against cartel operations.
  • Legal experts warn that strikes on cartel members abroad could raise questions under the Posse Comitatus Act and international humanitarian law.