Donald Trump to send US soldiers into Mexico in major drug cartel blitz

Trump is sending soldiers into Mexico (Image: Getty)

US President Donald Trump is to send US troops into Mexico in a major drive against drug cartels in the country. The Trump administration is advancing plans for a new military operation that could see American troops and intelligence agents deployed inside Mexico to strike drug cartels, according to multiple current and former US officials. Early training and coordination for the potential mission are already underway, officials said, though no formal order has been given and deployment is not yet imminent.

The mission's details, including its scale and timing, are still being discussed within the administration. If approved, the plan would represent a dramatic expansion of President Donald Trump's war on drug cartels.

Unlike past US support missions in Mexico which primarily offered intelligence and training to local forces, this operation would reportedly authorise direct US military strikes on cartel targets, including drug production sites and high-ranking cartel leaders.

According to sources, the mission would likely involve elite units from the Joint Special Operations Command working alongside the CIA under Title 50 authority, a classification used for covert intelligence operations, NBC News reported.

Officials indicated that drone strikes would form a central part of the strategy, though some systems require operators to be stationed on the ground in Mexico to ensure precision and safety.

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