President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to prepare military options for striking drug cartels now designated as foreign terrorist organizations, two U.S. officials confirmed Friday. While the move signals an escalation in his administration’s anti-cartel strategy, officials emphasized that any use of U.S. military assets is not imminent.
The New York Times first reported that Trump signed the directive, though details remain unclear about what actions might be authorized and how such operations would be carried out legally. The Pentagon has referred questions to the White House.
“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, adding that the decision follows January’s executive order labeling groups like the Sinaloa Cartel, MS-13, and Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organizations.
Pressed by reporters about potential U.S. military involvement in Latin America, Trump said, “We want to protect our country… we’re playing a tough game, but we’ll have more to say about that soon.”
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum pushed back strongly, ruling out any U.S. military presence in Mexico. “We cooperate, we coordinate, but there won’t be an invasion,” she said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the terrorist designation in an interview Thursday, saying it enables the U.S. to use “other elements of American power” — from intelligence agencies to the Department of Defense — to target heavily armed groups that control territory.
“They’re not just drug dealers,” Rubio said. “They operate like terrorist armies, and we have to treat them as such.”
While Trump’s order does not signal immediate action, it lays the groundwork for unprecedented U.S. military involvement in combating cartels. This move could reshape both domestic security policy and international relations in the region.