Trump’s War on Cartels: Latest Developments
Summary of the Article: US Counter-Drug Operations in Mexico & Potential escalation
This article discusses the evolving US strategy for combating drug cartels, especially in Mexico, and the potential for further escalation under a future Trump management.Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
* Trump’s Proposed Policy: donald Trump is considering authorizing military action against drug cartels, potentially designating them as “terrorists” and expanding targets to include nations perceived as harboring them. He and Republicans are exploring legislation to provide legal justification for such actions.
* Biden Administration’s Pre-Existing Operations: The article highlights that the US, under the Biden administration, had already initiated covert operations in Mexico to counter drug cartels. This is a crucial point frequently enough missing from current media coverage.
* CIA Drone program: the CIA, with Mexico’s cooperation, began secret drone flights into Mexico in February 2025 to locate fentanyl labs. While data was shared with Mexican authorities, action was initially slow.
* CIA Training & Equipping of Mexican Units: A long-standing,previously covert program involved the CIA vetting,training,and equipping two Mexican military units: a special forces group within the Army and a Navy intelligence unit. The Army unit is considered highly capable of capturing drug lords.
* Successes of the Program: The CIA-trained Mexican Army unit successfully captured Ovid Guzmán López (son of “El Chapo”) in january 2023.
* Mexican Government’s Response: Initially, the Mexican President downplayed the CIA drone program as part of existing cooperation. However, a more detailed Reuters inquiry revealed the extent of the CIA’s involvement.
In essence, the article argues that the narrative surrounding Trump’s potential actions is incomplete without acknowledging the significant, already-in-place US operations in Mexico initiated during the Biden administration. It suggests a continuation and potential escalation of existing policies rather then a fully new approach.