President Trump Issues Covert Order — Latin American Cartels on High Alert
Washington, D.C. — In a move shaking both Washington insiders and international criminal networks, President Donald Trump has reportedly authorized U.S. military forces to take direct action against Latin American drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
According to The New York Times, the secret order grants U.S. forces unprecedented authority to target cartel operations on land and at sea. High-profile targets include Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, the Cartel de Los Soles, and the notorious MS-13 gang.
“The president is determined not just to dismantle, but to completely destroy Maduro’s Cartel de Los Soles and obliterate their operations across the Western Hemisphere,” a source close to the White House told reporters.
Since resuming office, Trump has ramped up pressure on Canada and Mexico, citing failures to curb drug and human trafficking. U.S. immigration authorities have also been directed to aggressively target and deport suspected gang members. Seized cartel assets, Trump has pledged, will be redirected to families impacted by violent crime.
In an unprecedented escalation, the Departments of Justice and State announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on U.S. drug trafficking charges.
The campaign represents a coordinated effort across multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, the Treasury, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Trump’s “top priority is protecting the homeland,” adding that the designation of several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations was a necessary step in safeguarding U.S. interests.
The crackdown has already seen tangible action: ICE recently apprehended Cristian Alberto Rivas-Escalante, a fugitive linked to El Salvador’s 18th Street Gang, who illegally entered the U.S. in 2015 and was wanted for serious crimes in his home country.
This bold move signals Trump’s most aggressive anti-cartel initiative to date, marking a potential new era of U.S. military involvement in combating organized crime across the Western Hemisphere.