https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/trump-military-drug-cartels.html

Trump Directs Military to Target Foreign Drug Cartels (Note: Link is good for 30 days from day of post.)

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/world/americas/mexico-trump-military-cartels.html

Mexico’s President Says U.S. Forces Are Unwelcome in Her Country (Note: Link is good for 30 days from day of post.)

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/trump-military-drug-cartels.html

President Trump has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that his administration has deemed terrorist organizations, according to people familiar with the matter.

The decision to bring the American military into the fight is the most aggressive step so far in the administration’s escalating campaign against the cartels. It signals Mr. Trump’s continued willingness 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.

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

U.S. military officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the groups, the people familiar with the conversations said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/world/americas/mexico-trump-military-cartels.html
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico denied that the United States would use its military in her country on Friday, responding to news that President Trump had directed the Pentagon to target drug cartels that the United States considers terrorist organizations.

“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,” she said. “It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.”

"We were informed that this executive order was coming and that it had nothing to do with the participation of any military personnel or any institution in our territory," Sheinbaum told her regular morning news conference.