In a significant policy shift, President Trump has authorized the U.S. military to conduct direct operations against Latin American drug cartels, including the potential use of force on foreign soil. This directive empowers the Department of Defense to initiate military actions at sea and within territories controlled by these organizations. Several notorious cartels have been designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) or Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), including Mexico's Cartel de Sinaloa, El Salvador's Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Venezuela's Tren de Aragua, and the Cartel de los Soles, which is alleged to be led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been a strong advocate for this approach, stating that the SDGT designation allows for the deployment of "all elements of American power, intelligence agencies the DoD" to target these entities. While the directive opens the possibility for direct U.S. military intervention, it does not specify which countries might be affected or the protocols for dealing with resistance from local forces. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed that there is no risk of U.S. military intervention in Mexico, clarifying that while her government was informed of an upcoming U.S. order, it does not involve the deployment of American troops on Mexican soil. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Cartel de Los Soles as an SDGT on July 25, 2025, and the U.S. Department of State designated Tren de Aragua as an FTO on January 20, 2025. The U.S. Department of State and Department of Justice have also increased the reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nicolás Maduro to $50 million.