White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller hinted at the use of military capabilities to tackle cartels as part of the Trump administration offensive against the criminal organizations.
Speaking to press outside the White House, Miller said the matter is "not just a security mission" but a "military" one as well. "Cartels are foreign terrorist organizations and President Trump is deploying all necessary resources to end the threat these organizations pose," Miller said.
Six Mexican cartels were officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations in February, paving the way for potential military action from the U.S. in Mexico. U.S. assets have already been operating in Mexican soil, including drone flights that have helped local authorities locate and take down top cartel leaders and labs.
However, the Mexican government has clarified that drone flights are a result of coordination between the two countries, with President Claudia Sheinbaum saying her administration would never tolerate an "invasion."
Invasion is precisely the word that was reportedly used by some officials before Trump took office as actions against the criminal organizations started to be mapped out.
In this context, new reports are showing a division between White House officials at the moment over the best way to proceed. While a faction supports military strikes, others encourage collaboration with local authorities.
As reported by The New York Times, the most radical approach is being led by Sebastian Gorka, Trump's senior director for counterterrorism within the White House National Security Council.
Miller, despite his rhetoric, has been taking a more cautious approach as he considers the possibility that a military intervention could shut down cooperation with Mexican officials when it comes to immigration enforcement at the countries' shared border.
American officials have engaged with their Mexican counterparts on the matter but so far delivered vague ultimatums and unclear policy demands that Mexico cracks down on cartels in order to avoid a more serious approach from the U.S, three people familiar with the preliminary negotiations told the outlet.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
