The United States is reportedly preparing a covert military and intelligence operation in Mexico as part of President Donald Trump’s renewed effort to combat drug trafficking and America’s worsening addiction crisis.According to a report by NBC News, which cited two serving and two former senior US officials, the Trump administration has begun detailed planning for a mission aimed at Mexican drug cartels. The officials said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is also expected to play a key role in the operation.Early training for the potential mission has already begun, the officials added. They noted that while the plan envisions ground operations inside Mexico, a deployment is not yet imminent. Discussions are still underway within the administration to determine the scope and scale of the operation.Troops to operate under intelligence authorityNBC News reported that the troops involved would likely come from the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and operate under the US intelligence community’s Title 50 authority, which covers covert operations. This would mean that while the mission involves military personnel, it would be directed by intelligence agencies rather than the Pentagon.Under the current plan, US forces in Mexico would rely heavily on drone strikes to hit cartel drug labs and target key members and leaders. However, some drone systems would require operators on the ground to function effectively, officials said.The Trump administration’s push for direct intervention follows a February decision by the State Department to designate six Mexican cartels, MS-13, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations. The designation grants US intelligence and military agencies broader authority to conduct covert operations against them.President Trump has also previously acknowledged authorizing CIA operations in Venezuela, suggesting similar tactics could be applied in Mexico. “We could strike cartel targets on land there,” he said, referencing Venezuela in an earlier statement.Legal and historical challengesIf the plan moves forward, it would mark the first US military deployment inside Mexico in more than a century. The last such operation took place in 1916, when General John J Pershing led the Punitive Expedition to pursue revolutionary leader Pancho Villa after his raid on a U.S. town.Since then, Washington’s involvement in Mexico has been limited to intelligence sharing, training, and surveillance, particularly under the Mérida Initiative, launched in 2008 to support Mexico’s anti-narcotics efforts.Legal experts point out that the U.S. cannot deploy troops in Mexico without its government’s explicit consent. Mexico has consistently opposed any form of foreign military presence on its soil, arguing that such actions would violate its sovereignty.Trump downplays prospects of war with VenezuelaThe discussion around Mexico comes amid heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean, where American forces have been conducting strikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking. These operations have reportedly killed dozens.In an interview with CBS News, President Trump dismissed the idea of a large-scale war with Venezuela but hinted that President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power may be nearing its end.“I doubt it. I don’t think so,” Trump said when asked whether the US was preparing for war with Venezuela during the “60 Minutes” program. When pressed on whether Maduro’s presidency was nearing its conclusion, he responded, “I would say yeah. I think so, yeah.”Maduro, who has been indicted in the US on drug trafficking charges, accused Washington of using the narcotics issue as a pretext for regime change and seizing Venezuelan oil.In recent weeks, US forces have conducted over 15 strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 65 people, according to reports. The most recent attack took place on Saturday, drawing sharp criticism from several Latin American governments.Regional analysts say the pattern of strikes amounts to extrajudicial killings, even if the targets are alleged drug traffickers.
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