Trump orders use of military force against drug cartels on foreign soil

President Trump has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force on foreign soil against specific Latin American drug cartels that his administration has labelled as terrorist organisations, several news organisations, including the New York Times, reported this Tuesday, August 12th.

The decision to involve the US Armed Forces in the fight is the most aggressive step so far in the administration’s escalating campaign against the cartels, of which the most powerful are in Mexico and Colombia. 

The order represents Trump’s continued will to use military forces to carry out what has primarily been considered a law enforcement responsibility to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs from south of the border, mainly Mexico, into the United States.

Direct military operations at sea and in other countries

The order provides an official basis for the possibility of direct military operations at sea and on foreign soil against cartels, the New York Times said.

Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, said in an email to the NYT that “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 organisations.”

Alexander Aviña, associate professor of Latin American history at Arizona State University, believes Trump’s order is “directed mostly against Venezuela. The US has used the war on drugs as another way to advance the US imperial geopolitical designs in the Western Hemisphere.”

As reported by viraltrendingcontent, the US Justice and State Departments doubled the bounty against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million. The reward is in exchange for information leading to the arrest of Mr. Maduro, who has been indicted on drug trafficking charges.

Pentagon is already planning attacks

People familiar with the secret order told the NYT that Pentagon officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the groups.

However, using the military to crack down on the illicit trade also raises legal issues, including whether it would count as “murder” if US forces acting outside of a congressionally authorised armed conflict were to kill civilians, even criminal suspects, who pose no imminent threat.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum lashed out at Trump’s move, saying, “The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out.” President Sheinbaum spoke at a news conference on Monday, according to Democracy Now.

Prof Aviña said he also believes, ”this is a really dangerous directive that threatens to generate and unleash violence throughout any of the Latin American countries that the Trump administration may target under this broadly defined struggle against terrorism that they are now using to describe their fight against Latin American drug cartels.”