Trump’s New War on Narco-Terrorists Just Escalated

Washington,,Dc,,United,States,-,May,20,,2025:,Secretary,Marco

President Trump has escalated America’s war on drug cartels beyond maritime strikes, now threatening direct land-based military attacks against “narco-terrorist” organizations.

Story Highlights

Trump administration has conducted 16 airstrikes killing 66 people since September 2025, now threatens land strikes
Drug cartels redesignated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, enabling military action under counterterrorism framework
Colombia suspended intelligence sharing with US over extrajudicial killings without due process
USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group deployed to Caribbean as CIA authorized for covert Venezuela operations

Military Campaign Expands Beyond Maritime Operations

The Trump administration has executed a comprehensive military campaign against Latin American drug trafficking since August 2025, resulting in 16 airstrikes that killed approximately 66 individuals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the administration’s aggressive stance in October, declaring “Instead of interdicting it, on the president’s orders, we blew it up. And it’ll happen again.” Trump has now directed the Pentagon to identify land-based targets, primarily military installations and ports, marking an unprecedented escalation in US military engagement in Latin America.

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Cartel Redesignation Enables Counterterrorism Framework

Executive Order 14157 fundamentally altered US operational authority by designating drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, shifting policy from traditional law enforcement to military counterterrorism. FBI Director Kash Patel articulated this transformation, stating the administration would “treat Latin American drug cartels like the al-Qaedas of the world.” This legal designation grants broader military engagement parameters, though legal experts question whether FTO status automatically authorizes the employed military force against non-state actors.

Trump Warns Latin American ‘Narco-Terrorists’ He Will ‘Attack on Land’ On Top of Boat Strikeshttps://t.co/bYb3uwbQjH

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) December 2, 2025

Venezuela Targeted Despite Limited Drug Production Role

The administration has focused intensively on Venezuela, characterizing President Nicolas Maduro as a cartel “kingpin,” though regional analysts dispute this assessment. Venezuela does not produce fentanyl and operates outside the primary cocaine trafficking pipeline to the US, which flows through Colombia and the Pacific Ocean. The campaign encompasses three interconnected elements: criminal interdiction, regime change objectives toward Venezuela, and broader counterterrorism framing, suggesting objectives beyond drug interdiction toward regional power projection.

This represents the first publicly acknowledged US military airstrikes in Central or South America since the 1989 Panama invasion, establishing precedent for military action against designated narco-terrorist organizations. The effectiveness of maritime strikes in reducing drug trafficking remains unverified, while the administration continues massing significant military assets in the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, preparing for potential territorial strikes.