US Military Prepares Attacks on Mexican Cartels Amid FTO Designation

The Trump administration is preparing military options for lethal strikes against drug cartels inside Mexico, with plans reportedly to be ready by mid-September. This includes potential air strikes, drone attacks, and special operations raids targeting cartels such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, and may be conducted unilaterally without Mexican government approval. President Trump designated several Latin American criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations, enabling these plans, and has already deployed naval forces near Venezuela to interdict drug shipments. Mexican officials, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, have strongly rejected the prospect of US military operations on Mexican soil, warning it would be seen as an act of aggression violating international law. Experts caution that such unilateral military actions risk damaging the cooperative relationship between the US and Mexico, potentially undermining joint efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations. The Pentagon maintains that these cartels pose a direct threat to US national security, but critics argue that military intervention may backfire and misdiagnose the complex nature of cartel operations.