Pentagon Chief Keeps Options Open for Military Action Against Mexican Drug Cartels

January 31, 2025 TruthUSA

Recently, Mexican drug cartels and two transnational gangs were classified as foreign terrorist organizations.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that the Trump administration is considering military action against Mexican drug cartels following their designation as foreign terrorist organizations earlier this month.

“Ultimately, we will hold nothing back to secure the American people,” Hegseth stated during a Fox News interview when asked by “Fox and Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade whether the military might engage cartel factions within Mexico if those groups targeted Americans at the U.S.–Mexico border.

“All options will be on the table if we’re dealing with what are declared to be foreign terrorist organizations that are specifically targeting Americans along our border.”

He stressed that the ultimate decision rests with the president.

“The military is adapting to prioritize homeland defense along our sovereign borders. That is something we will approach vigorously,” Hegseth noted. “We’re already implementing these measures.

“If additional actions become necessary to stop the cartels from flooding our country with gangs, drugs, and violence, we will address that. The president will make that decision, and I will collaborate with him throughout that process. Ultimately, we will spare no effort to protect the American people.”

Earlier this week, a representative from the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that state officials assisted U.S. Border Patrol agents after they “received gunfire from cartel members in Mexico while patrolling in Fronton,” a border town in Texas.

In one of his initial actions as president on January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating cartels, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, and the Salvadoran gang MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations. However, he did not specify any individual Mexican cartels, including well-known ones like the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or Los Zetas.

The president noted that some Mexican cartels “operate as quasi-governmental entities, controlling nearly all aspects of society” in certain regions, asserting that their activities pose a threat to U.S. national security and the safety of the American public. As he began his administration, Trump enacted several executive orders that primarily focused on securing the southern border.

This included measures such as declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border, suspending all refugee admissions to align with his agenda, reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, and discontinuing the CBP One app that facilitated asylum applications before reaching the border. The administration has also intensified immigration enforcement across various U.S. cities.

Meanwhile, earlier this week the U.S. Embassy issued a “do not travel” warning for four municipalities in Tamaulipas state, just south of Texas, following the discovery of improvised explosive devices along roads in that region.

The recent categorization of cartels comes amidst an escalation of violence in northern Mexican states, ignited by the kidnapping and detention of kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, leading to a fierce conflict among rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel. Gunmen continue to leave dismembered bodies in the streets and are even abducting individuals from hospitals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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