Overview

• Trump secretly signed a directive authorizing the Pentagon to conduct overseas and maritime operations against cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
• Pentagon planners have started drafting operational options for targeting cartel networks beyond traditional law enforcement efforts.
• The administration raised the bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of directing the Cartel de los Soles in drug trafficking.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected any U.S. troop deployment on Mexican soil, emphasizing the inviolability of national sovereignty.
• Legal experts warn the directive may breach the Posse Comitatus Act and exceed congressional authorization by sanctioning lethal force without a declared conflict.