PresidentDonald Trump has reportedly signed a secret order allowing the military to take action against drug distribution rings and other criminal organizations from Latin America, as per a New York Times report. This information corroborates earlier statements from Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who stated that the US military now has permission to take aggressive action against drug cartels.
Rubio explained that this action would allow the US to target these groups using American power, including intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense, whenever possible. He also emphasized that these organizations should be treated as armed terrorist groups, not just drug-trafficking groups.
However, this news has raised concerns that the military may be deployed within the US and abroad to combat sanctioned criminal groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The Trump administration has designated such groups as “foreign terrorist organizations,” placing them in the same category as groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIL (ISIS), and Boko Haram.
A US government official anonymously stated that no military action appears imminent. During a news conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to concerns about potential US intervention on Mexican soil. She acknowledged receipt of information regarding the Trump administration’s decision but denied that the US military would operate within Mexico.
Sheinbaum stressed that her country is not at risk of US intervention and warned that any US military activity would violate Mexico’s sovereignty. Other Republican politicians have previously suggested authorizing military action against drug cartels on Mexican soil, drawing anger from Mexico, which has a history of opposing US intervention.
Trump had earlier offered to send US troops to Mexico to combat drug trafficking, but Sheinbaum strongly rejected the idea. In response, Trump’s heavy-handed approach has caused frustration in other parts of Latin America and raised legal and moral concerns about potential military actions.
Questions also remain regarding the extent of the US military’s abilities to operate within the constraints of domestic and international law. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the military from acting as a domestic policing force, while international laws restrict military actions abroad except in cases of self-defense.
Additionally, critics question the effectiveness of taking such a strong approach to addressing gangs, drug cartels, and other groups. After Trump designated certain groups as terrorist organizations, human rights groups raised concerns that civilians in gang-controlled territories may be inadvertently sanctioned.
This news comes at a time of strained relations between the US and Latin America. Trump has recently imposed high tariffs on Brazil in an attempt to interfere in a trial involving his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called these actions “unacceptable” and described them as interference in the sovereignty of another country.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/8/trump-signs-order-authorising-military-action-against-cartels-reports?traffic_source=rss
