Trump gave secret military authority to target drug cartels abroad

The covert authorization, first reported Friday, empowers U.S. forces to target specific cartels and gangs operating in Latin America, marking Trump’s most forceful attempt yet to quell drug trafficking into the United States.

The previously undisclosed order permits American troops to take action on both land and water against criminal operations tied to foreign cartels. These operations are often linked to violence, human smuggling, and the movement of substances like fentanyl across the southern border.

The New York Times revealed the decision Friday, reporting that Trump’s team authorized the military’s expanded role through a classified directive. The directive allows coordination across multiple national security and law enforcement agencies.