Can the CIA and U.S. military stop the Mexican cartels?

1 month ago 21

Experts question whether military strikes would dent the power of the narcotraffickers

Members of the U.S. military walk along the border wall at the U.S. and Mexico border near San Ysidro on March 21, 2025. (Photo by Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Posted: April 23rd, 2025

By Elaine Shannon

Elaine Shannon, contributing editor at The Cipher Brief, is a former correspondent for Time and Newsweek. Her latest book is Hunting LeRoux (Harper Collins, 2019).

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — On January 20, the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump formally labeled Mexico’s crime cartels as international terrorists. Last month, in a sharp break from past assessments, the U.S. intelligence community’s annual briefing on national security threats put narcotrafficking at the top of the list. Multiple reports indicated that the CIA was stepping up surveillance drone flights deep into Mexican cartel-dominated territory.

All these actions have raised questions about whether U.S. unilateral drone strikes or special operations raids against the cartels would soon follow.

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