Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump has authorized the U.S. military to use force against certain Latin American drug cartels that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, according to a report by The New York Times. The directive significantly expands U.S. authority to target cartel operations both on land and at sea, marking a major escalation in the federal government’s approach to combating transnational organized crime.
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The reported order allows U.S. forces to take action against groups including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, the Cartel de los Soles, and the MS-13 gang. A source familiar with the administration’s thinking said the president is focused on dismantling and eliminating cartel networks operating throughout the Western Hemisphere, particularly those allegedly tied to the Venezuelan government under President Nicolás Maduro.
Since returning to office, Trump has intensified pressure on neighboring countries, tightening trade measures on Canada and Mexico over what he describes as their failure to stem drug trafficking and human smuggling. His administration has also directed immigration authorities to prioritize the arrest and deportation of suspected gang members, while proposing that assets seized from cartel operations be redirected to support victims of violent crime.
In a related move, the Justice and State Departments announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on U.S. drug trafficking charges. The broader campaign involves multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Treasury Department. Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly said the president’s top priority is homeland security and described the designations as necessary to confront cartel violence.
The announcement comes as immigration authorities continue high-profile enforcement actions. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently arrested Cristian Alberto Rivas-Escalante, an alleged El Salvadoran fugitive linked to the 18th Street Gang, who officials say entered the United States illegally in 2015 and was wanted for serious crimes in his home country. Taken together, the actions represent Trump’s most aggressive anti-cartel strategy to date and signal a new phase of U.S. involvement in the fight against organized crime.[/read]