President Donald Trump has intensified his campaign against Latin American drug cartels, vowing to “wage war” on groups he accuses of flooding the United States with deadly drugs like fentanyl, according to a Reuters report on August 9, 2025. The pledge follows his administration’s February designation of eight drug trafficking organizations, including six Mexican cartels, one Venezuelan group, and one from El Salvador, as foreign terrorist organizations. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum firmly rejected any U.S. military presence on Mexican soil, declaring, “There will be no invasion of Mexico,” during a Friday press briefing, per CBS News.
Trump’s directive, signed secretly, authorizes the Pentagon to prepare military options against these cartels, potentially involving special forces operations or intelligence-sharing with foreign partners, per The New York Times. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the shift in approach, stating, “We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organizations, not simply drug dealing organizations,” in a Thursday interview, per USA Today. The directive could enable U.S. Navy drug interdiction operations at sea, though no immediate action is confirmed, according to a U.S. official cited by Reuters. Sheinbaum clarified that Mexico was informed of the order but stressed it does not involve U.S. troops on Mexican territory, saying, “We are cooperating, we are collaborating, but there will be no invasion.”
The move raises legal and diplomatic concerns. The Posse Comitatus Act, a Civil War-era law, limits U.S. military involvement in domestic law enforcement, and unilateral strikes could violate international law, per The Independent. Brandan Buck of the Cato Institute noted, “Previous efforts to escalate the war on drugs through partnered operations in Colombia and Mexico failed to eliminate drug trafficking organizations or stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States,” warning of potential diplomatic fallout, per Newsweek. Mexico’s sovereignty remains a sticking point, with Sheinbaum reiterating, “Our territory is inviolable, our sovereignty is not for sale,” as stated in May, per The Hill.
Key elements of Trump’s anti-cartel strategy include:
- Terrorist Designations: Eight groups, including Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, labeled as terrorist organizations.
- Military Options: Plans for potential special forces raids or naval interdictions at sea.
- Mexico’s Stance: Sheinbaum rejects U.S. military action, emphasizes collaboration.
The policy also targets Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns, with a $50 million U.S. bounty on President Nicolás Maduro, whom the Justice Department accuses of leading the group, per CBS News. Venezuela dismissed the claim as a “ridiculous smokescreen,” per CBS News. As Trump pushes for aggressive measures, Mexico’s firm stance underscores the delicate balance of cross-border cooperation in tackling the fentanyl crisis, which has fueled America’s deadliest drug epidemic.
Sources: Reuters, CBS News, The New York Times, USA Today, The Independent, Newsweek, The Hill
