“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
From an Infobae Article
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In recent days, a report by The New York Times revealed that US President Donald Trump had signed a secret order authorizing the use of military force against cartels and drug trafficking organizations in Latin America.
The measure, considered by analysts to be the broadest in decades, would not be limited to diplomatic or economic sanctions, but would also allow direct attacks by the Pentagon on targets in countries in the region, including Colombia .
President Gustavo Petro expressed concern about this provision, warning that it could open the door to U.S. military operations on Colombian territory.
Petro’s warning comes in the wake of revelations published by The New York Times , according to which Trump has signed a secret order authorizing the Pentagon to directly use military force against criminal organizations in Latin America. This secret provision is the broadest to date in Washington’s offensive against drug trafficking, granting the US armed forces a legal framework to carry out unilateral operations abroad without requiring prior authorization from Congress .
The scope of the measure is significant: it not only targets Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), the Northeast Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, the United Cartels, and the New Mexican Family, but also armed groups and criminal networks in South America. These include dissident groups of the FARC, the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Second Marquetalia, and cells of the Aragua Train, all of which have an active presence in Colombia and alleged links to drug trafficking.
On the other hand, the fact that Trump’s order authorizes actions without the consent of the US Congress implies a drastic relaxation of domestic controls over US foreign policy. This could open the door to rapid, non-consensual interventions, increasing the risk of diplomatic and military confrontations in the region.
Meanwhile, senior US military officials are reportedly already designing strategies to implement this order, suggesting that the plan is not merely theoretical. Given this scenario, the challenge for Latin American governments will be to find a balance between international cooperation and the defense of their sovereignty, preventing the war on drugs from turning into an open conflict between nations.