Trump Administration Planning Covert Anti-Cartel Mission in Mexico

The Trump administration is in the advanced planning stages for a new, covert mission that would send U.S. troops, intelligence officers, and CIA elements into Mexico to target drug cartels, according to a report from NBC News citing current and former U.S. officials.
The proposed mission, which is reportedly already in the preliminary training phase, would operate under U.S. intelligence authority (Title 50). This would allow for a secret war against the cartels, unlike the administration’s public military strikes on “narco-terrorist” boats in the Caribbean.
According to officials, the plan is expected to involve:
* Ground Operations: Deployment of U.S. troops, likely from the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), alongside CIA paramilitary officers.
* Drone Strikes: The mission’s primary tactic would be the use of drone strikes to target suspected drug manufacturing facilities, as well as cartel members and leaders. Officials noted that drone operators would need to be on the ground in Mexico to use them effectively and safely.
This move is the culmination of the administration’s aggressive anti-cartel policy, which began in January 2025 with an executive order designating several Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). That designation provided the legal framework for the U.S. to take military action.
While a final decision on the mission’s scope and timing has not been made, Washington’s preference is to conduct the operation in coordination with the Mexican government. However, officials have not ruled out proceeding without Mexico’s cooperation.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously stated that while Mexico will collaborate on security, she “rejects any form of intervention” and that a U.S. military operation on Mexican soil is “absolutely off the table.”