President Trump paved the way for military action with his designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The designation led to the authorization of surveillance flights by the CIA over Mexico and the deployment of U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers off the Mexican coast.
The idea that the U.S. could take direct military action against the Mexican drug cartels in Mexico has long been contemplated by many. Drone strikes could target cartel leaders, their security forces, and their manufacturing facilities, like the U.S. Reaper drones in Afghanistan were used to destroy the Taliban drug facilities. Although U.S. military action without Mexico’s consent could spark outrage in Mexico’s government, many Mexican citizens are clamoring for U.S. boots on the ground in Mexico. They are overjoyed at the prospect of regaining their country and making Mexico great again.
David, a Mexican mining businessman residing in Sonora, said that he believes around 70% of Mexico would welcome direct US intervention, and that if they were to see immediate results or pacification, then the number could reach 90%. “The government is simply too corrupt and has severely impacted all aspects of our daily lives. Businesses, schools, the cattle industry, and agriculture are suffering tremendously”. He added, “You’ll never hear President Sheinbaum say that we need to eliminate or eradicate the cartels. You will, however, hear her say we need to control or pacify the cartels. That tells you everything. She’s corrupt”.
Another commercial businessman from Sinaloa, who only provided his first name as Alfredo, said he’s saddened that Mexico has devolved to its current state. “The cartels have always been present, but it was isolated, and if you were not involved with them, you could live an honest, peaceful life”. Those days are over, he lamented. “You cannot simply avoid or escape the cartel’s presence, whether it’s violence, extortion, theft, or kidnappings in everyday life. We need President Trump to establish order because it’s hopeless to believe that the Mexican government will act effectively. The government will remove one cartel group and replace it with another one, so it will never end”.
On April 08, 2025, NBC News Ken Dilanian reported that the Trump administration is considering the use of drone strikes against Mexican Cartels:
Armed drones are among the most precise and lethal weapon systems in the American arsenal, and tonight, six U.S. officials briefed on the matter tell NBC News the Trump administration is considering using drones. Strikes against the Mexican drug cartels that are importing deadly fentanyl into the United States, the officials said. No final decisions have been made, and they said the administration is hoping for Mexico’s cooperation. But they say it has not ruled out unilateral action. Acting Drug Enforcement Administrator Derek Maltz told me that all options should be on the table because drug cartels have killed more Americans than al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Together with strong intelligence and the Department of Defense working in tandem, the cartel threat can be effectively eliminated. Cartels at their root are evil and don’t care about the paralyzing terror that has consumed much of the populace of Mexico. However, above all, their sadistic actions are based on greed. Without the cash flow that the trafficking of drugs produces for them, they will weaken and sell themselves out for a buck to the opposing cartel or the U.S. government. Cartel members have continually shifted allegiances, so the notion that cartel members will fight to the death to protect their bosses is ridiculous. They may put up a fight early on, but it will be short-lived, especially after the effects of the drugs wear off. Just like mercenaries, they will fight for the mighty dollar and move on to the highest bidder if there is one.
Retired CBP/DHS Intelligence agent Javier Rodarte worked with many confidential sources and paid informants throughout his career spanning 35 years. “Offer a cartel member a small bit of cash, and they will turn on their mothers,” he explained. “Additionally, offering them an S-1 visa and some degree of protection for themselves and their families has always been the ultimate goal of an informant, as it provides security. For years, many believed the New York mafias were untouchable and would never be taken down, but a little cash and offering witness protection was the recipe it took to dismantle the whole corrupt system”.
President Trump’s continuous pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to take harsher measures against the cartels has many believing the Trump administration may be able to persuade Mexico to allow limited US military drone strikes.
Fox Business with Stuart Varney, February 04, 2025, interviewed Border Czar Tom Homan during a visit to the border in El Paso with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth:
There are reports that the cartels plan to attack border patrol agents with suicide drones. How will you fight that? I have said for a while that the cartels, when we secure the border, we are taking billions so they can make money, sex trafficking, and drugs. To fight this thing, we will take them on the military border, where threats exist. There will be violence, but the cartels, Donald Trump, will not hesitate to take action. I think Donald Trump will wipe it out like he did ISIS, the caliphate. I would think the cartels would pay attention. We have a strong president who’s not going to take it. Stuart: If our troops on the border are fired at from Mexico, not necessarily drones but rifle fire, what will we do? Will fire back inside Mexico? Absolutely. We will take them on, and they have a dangerous job. The Mexican cartels are well prepared, and we will do what we have to do to defend this country and protect the men and women who wear the badge. We will take action immediately. Stuart: 10,000 Mexican troops are going to the border. Will they also take on the cartels? I think so. Donald Trump is a game-changer. Moving at record speed with the military operation on the border. Great partner. We locked down the border at a high level, with a 76% decline across the southern border. DOD is in the game. For the first time, I am confident that the second administration on the southern border has not had operational control in the history of this nation.
March 4, 2025, President Trump’s address to Congress:
The territory to the immediate south of our border is now dominated entirely by criminal cartels that murder, rape, torture, and exercise total control — they have total control over a whole nation — posing a grave threat to our national security,” Trump said. “The cartels are waging war in America, and it’s time for America to wage war on the cartels, which we are doing.
The first speech of Trump’s second term in office, while not officially a State of the Union address, is a chance for the president to lay out legislative priorities and tout early achievements.
On May 04, Trump, on Air Force One, answered a question from a reporter, stating: “Mexico is saying that I offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico to take care of the cartels. I told President Sheinbaum that if Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to assist. The cartels are trying to destroy our country. They’re evil. I think she’s a lovely woman, but she’s so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight.”
Mexican cartels joined the list of foreign terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and ISIS with this new designation. The designation makes it easier politically for President Trump to send U.S troops to Mexico without the approval of Congress. The designation will target criminal organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel. Under U.S. law, this designation allows the U.S. government to freeze cartel assets, ban travel, and penalize top-tier cartel members. When asked if U.S. forces could be sent to Mexico. Trump did say that it could happen. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart News Foundation traveled to Mexico to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate throughout Mexico if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and their original Spanish. This article was written by “Diego Cervantes.”
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