President Donald Trump has quietly taken one of his most aggressive steps yet against Latin American drug cartels by authorizing the U.S. military to use force against cartels classified as foreign terrorist organizations, according to sources close to the White House.
This classified order grants U.S. forces the authority to engage cartel operations both on land and at sea, marking a significant shift from previous strategies that relied mainly on federal law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking.
A source familiar with the matter told reporters, “The president is determined to not just dismantle — but completely destroy — Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s Cartel de Los Soles and obliterate their operations in the Western Hemisphere.”
The U.S. State Department’s list of designated foreign terrorist organizations involved in drug trafficking includes Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Cartel de Los Soles, along with El Salvador’s notorious gang Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump publicly considered authorizing military strikes on cartels operating inside Mexico, an idea that drew both support and criticism, the New York Post reported.
Since taking office, he has also implemented higher tariffs on Canada and Mexico, blaming their governments for failing to adequately stem