Trump authorizes military force against Latin American cartels in escalation of anti-drug campaign

President Donald Trump has secretly signed a directive instructing the Pentagon to begin using military force against select Latin American drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations by his administration.

The move marks the most aggressive action yet in Trump’s war on drug trafficking and signals a significant shift in US strategy, blurring the lines between military operations and traditional law enforcement, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The directive authorizes potential military actions at sea and even on foreign soil.

According to people familiar with the internal deliberations, US military officials have begun drawing up operational plans. However, the decision raises serious legal concerns, particularly over whether killing criminal suspects who pose no imminent threat could violate US laws against murder.

While the White House has not released details about legal justifications, Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, defended the directive: “President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.”

The Pentagon declined to comment, and it remains unclear whether the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has issued a formal opinion on the legality of military force in this context.

Earlier this year, Trump ordered the State Department to classify groups like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations. Most recently, the Venezuelan cartel known as Cartel de los Soles—allegedly led by President Nicolás Maduro—was also added to the list.

“The United States government is doubling a reward — to $50 million — for information leading to the arrest of Mr. Maduro,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated. “He will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.”

Marco Rubio, secretary of state, underscored the strategic shift: “We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organizations, not simply drug dealing organizations.”

Although the directive significantly expands the tools available to target drug networks, it may face domestic and international legal challenges—especially if US forces operate without host nation consent.

By Vafa Guliyeva