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President Donald Trump has secretly authorized the use of military force against drug cartels in Latin America, which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, according to several reports.
This action, reported by the 'New York Times', would give US forces permission to intervene against cartels, which traffic drugs such as fentanyl across the US-Mexico border.
“The president is determined to not only dismantle, but completely destroy, [Venezuelan dictator Nicolás] Maduro’s Los Soles cartel and eliminate their operations in the Western Hemisphere,” a source close to the White House said, according to the New York Post.
The anti-cartel effort is being coordinated among several departments, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Treasury, the source added.
"President Trump's top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step of designating several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that the US military would not enter Mexican territory, following reports that Washington could take action to combat cartels.
“This has nothing to do with Mexican territory,” she said. “It has to do with their country. It does not include our territory.”
Trump has previously spoken about using military force against drug cartels as an effort to stem the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants across the southern border.
He has also imposed sanctions on senior members of the Del Noreste cartel, one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico and a terrorist organization declared by the US.
Most recently, he has used the threat of tariffs to force Mexico and Canada to actively participate in anti-trafficking efforts.
In relation to Latin American cartels, the administration has also targeted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is wanted by the US.
On Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TdA (Tren de Aragua), Sinaloa, and the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles) to bring deadly violence to our country,” Pam Bondi said in a video message.
"He is one of the largest drug traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security."
A few weeks after taking office, the White House announced the extradition of 29 members of various Mexican drug cartels.
"The previous administration allowed these criminals to roam freely and commit crimes around the world."
"The Trump administration is declaring these thugs terrorists because that is what they are and is demanding justice for the American people," the White House statement said at the time.
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