President Trump Orders Military to Target Latin American Drug Cartels

Washington – President Trump has issued a direct order to the U.S. military to target drug cartels operating in Latin America, a move confirmed by a source close to the administration. While the timeline for military action remains unclear, this directive underscores a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to combat illicit drug flow into the United States.

This directive marks a pivotal point in President Trump’s second-term agenda, which has consistently prioritized disrupting the drug cartels he blames for the influx of fentanyl and other illicit substances across the southern border.

Early in his current term, President Trump signed an executive order mandating the State Department to classify cartels and transnational gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Following this, the State Department designated eight gangs, including notorious groups like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, in February. More recently, two Haitian gangs and Yemen’s Houthis have also been added to this FTO list.

Adding to these measures, the Treasury Department last month declared Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Sun) a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, alleging it’s led by President Nicolás Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials who provide material support to terror organizations. This past Thursday, the bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest was dramatically increased to $50 million.

While House and Senate Democrats have pressed the administration to leverage FTO designations to disrupt cartel financial networks and stem the flow of U.S.-made guns, the administration’s stance has been clear. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on Thursday that the FTO designation transforms the fight against cartels from a law enforcement matter into a national security imperative. Rubio stated this designation grants the U.S. government expanded legal authority, enabling the deployment of intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, and other elements of American power to target these groups.

Beyond this direct military order, President Trump has already heavily utilized the armed forces for his broader immigration objectives. Over 10,000 service members are currently deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border, supported by three new National Defense Areas in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, designed to bolster border security. In June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also oversaw the mobilization of approximately 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles for immigration enforcement, despite opposition from Governor Gavin Newsom.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.