Overview

• The Pentagon has begun moving warships and aircraft to the southern Caribbean under a classified White House directive to pressure cartels labeled as terrorist organizations.
• The administration recently added the Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua to its list of international terrorist groups to broaden legal avenues against narcotics trafficking.
• President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly ruled out U.S. military operations on Mexican soil as a violation of national sovereignty.
• Security analysts warn that U.S. force deployments without Mexico’s consent could backfire by strengthening adaptive cartel networks and straining bilateral law-enforcement efforts.
• Leaders of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico caution that terrorism designations could expose companies to charges of providing material support if they negotiate with cartel-linked kidnappers or extortionists.