It may have slipped through the cracks, but President Trump has recently directed the Pentagon to make war plans to directly combat drug cartels with US military force. This is similar to the orders that preceded the raid on Iran.
This is not a singular action, but a logical progression from Trump 2.0 designating certain Mexican cartels as FTOs (foreign terrorist organizations) earlier this year thereby justifying direct military action under the same premise as the US attacking ISIS or the Houthis in the Middle East.
Trump 1.0 attempted to designate the same cartels as FTOs in 2019, but Mexico objected and Trump 1.0 backed off.
Currently, Mexico objects to the notion of direct American military attacks against the Mexican FTOs, but who knows what they say behind closed doors?
Actually, it is not. The US has been using military force against drug cartels for years since the late 1960s.
1. In 1969, Operation Intercept, US military provided support at the Mexican border in the form of air support to identify and apprehend smugglers — the predecessors to the cartels. Operation Intercept was generally ineffective.
2. In 1986, Operation Blast Furnace in Bolivia, US Army provided military advisers, helicopters, and weapons to destroy cocaine labs and air facilities such as remote runways. The operation was effective and destroyed a number of drug labs, but the drug criminals quickly rebuilt.
3. In 1989, Operation Just Cause in Panama, the US invaded with the 82nd Airborne Division and overthrew the government of General Manuel Noriega and apprehended him and brought him to the United States where he was convicted on drug charges.
Noriega was convicted in the US, served his sentence, was extradicted to France, was extradited to Panama, and died in prison in Panama at age 83 in 2017.
4. During the 1990s to the 2000s in Columbia, the US military undertook Plan Columbia that provided advisers, aircraft, intel cooperation, surveillance, and direct action against the Medellin and Cali cartels as well as FARC.
The campaign against FARC, a Marxist/Leninist terror organization, was successful and it morphed into a political party.
5. During the time period 2008 until the present, the US initiated the Merida Initiative in Mexico against the Sinaloa, Zeta, and Gulf cartels resulting in the death of a number of cartel members. The US support included advisers, helicopters, training, and intel sharing. Theoretically, this effort continues today.
6. In 2011 – 2012 in Guatamala and Honduras, the US military undertook DEA FAST Team operations wherein the US provided air support to attack jungle and maritime drug labs resulting in the eradication of labs and the death and capture of drug kingpins.
7. Since 2014, the US has conducted naval interdiction with Navy and Coast Guard ships and intel sharing to identify and capture drug submarines — narco subs — in the Pacific and Caribbean. This interdiction of supply channels has generally been successful though some narco subs have gotten through.
8. In 2019, Trump 1.0 proposed to declare Mexican drug cartels FTOs and to attack them directly, but the then Mexican government protested and nothing happened.
It is the opinion of your Big Red Car that the US will strike cartels before the end of the year when the weather favors protracted air operations.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Boom!
