WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Donald Trump can use the military to target Latin American drug gangs designated as global terrorist organisations and has directed the Pentagon to prepare options, US officials said on Friday (Aug 8).
In February, the Trump administration designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, other drug gangs, and Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organisations, part of a broader push to increase immigration enforcement against alleged gang members.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the new authority would allow the administration to use the military against cartels.
“It allows us to now target what they are operating and to use other elements of American power, intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, whatever… to target these groups if we have an opportunity to do it,” Rubio said.
“We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organisations, not simply drug dealing organisations.”
POSSIBLE OPERATIONS
The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump had secretly signed a directive to begin using military force against the groups.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the move but said military action did not appear imminent and it was unclear what types of operations might be carried out.
A second US official said the authority could allow the US Navy to take action at sea, including drug interdiction missions, and could also extend to targeted military raids.
The US military has already increased airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to collect intelligence on their activities.
