The Pentagon has reportedly approved the use of military force against drug cartels. President Trump allegedly signed a directive for the Pentagon to start using military force against certain drug cartels that have been designated foreign terrorist organizations.
The New York Times reported Trump signed the directive in secret, providing a justification for potential military operations against the criminal organizations.
The half-dozen cartels labeled terrorist groups need to worry. It includes MS-13, Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel, Jalisco New Generation cartel, the Northeast cartel, the Michoacán family, the United cartels and the Cartel del Golfo, according to U.S. officials. They are monsters. A few well-placed drones? I’m not sure what they mean by military force.
The How?
U.S. military officials have started drawing up plans for how the military could target cartels. But any unilateral strikes against the groups could also raise legal issues if individuals are killed who do not pose an imminent threat or who are not part of a conflict where Congress has authorized military action.
“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to The Hill.
Trump upon taking office took executive action to designate several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which provided additional law enforcement tools to crack down on their activity.
It is unclear what White House, Pentagon and State Department lawyers have said about the new directive or whether the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has produced an authoritative opinion assessing the legal issues.
Already this year Mr. Trump has deployed National Guard and active duty troops to the southwest border to choke off the flow of drugs as well as immigrants, and has increased surveillance and drug interdiction efforts.
