President Donald Trump has signed a secret directive instructing the Pentagon to use U.S. military force against certain Latin American drug cartels his administration has designated as terrorist organizations, according to officials familiar with the decision.
The move marks the most aggressive step yet in Trump’s campaign to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs, expanding what has traditionally been a law enforcement mission into a military operation. The directive could authorize actions at sea and on foreign soil targeting cartel leaders and operations.
U.S. military planners are developing options, though the order raises legal questions about killing suspects outside a congressionally authorized conflict and whether such actions could violate laws against murder or the long-standing ban on assassinations. The Defense Department declined to comment, and it remains unclear how administration lawyers have assessed the plan.
Since returning to office, Trump has labeled multiple Venezuelan and Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, including Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles, which U.S. officials allege is led by President Nicolás Maduro. The administration has doubled its reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing drug trafficking charges.
Past U.S. military involvement in Latin American drug operations has typically supported law enforcement rather than leading direct assaults. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the military is generally barred from domestic law enforcement duties. Military action abroad without a host country’s consent could violate international law, legal experts say, unless narrow exceptions apply.
Trump’s approach reflects a broader push to use the armed forces more directly in national security policy, including counter-narcotics efforts. The strategy has drawn comparisons to past controversial operations, such as the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama to arrest Manuel Noriega.
Officials say recent U.S. efforts have included expanded border surveillance flights and covert CIA drone operations over Mexico to locate fentanyl labs, though without authorization for lethal strikes. The administration’s willingness to use direct military force against cartels represents a significant escalation that could test both domestic and international legal boundaries.
