The directive is meant to officially legitimize the potential for military operations, including overseas in foreign countries, targeting the cartels. It marks Trump's most aggressive move yet in the administration's escalating campaign against drug-trafficking organizations, in an effort to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the US.

Military action plans in the works

Senior US military officials have already begun formulating plans for how the armed forces could take action against the criminal groups, according to people familiar with the confidential discussions.

However, The New York Times noted that using the military in narcotics operations abroad raises legal concerns, for example, whether it would be considered murder if US troops operating outside the country were to kill civilians, even suspected criminals, who did not pose an immediate threat.

At this stage, it remains unclear how, or whether, the legal teams at the White House, Pentagon, and State Department have responded to the directive, or whether the Justice Department's legal counsel has issued an opinion on the matter.

Earlier this year, Trump deployed National Guard troops and other forces to the southwestern border to clamp down on drug trafficking, and illegal immigration, while ramping up surveillance efforts. Upon returning to office in January, he signed an executive order instructing the State Department to begin designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

In February, the State Department designated "Tren de Aragua," "Mara Salvatrucha" (also known as MS-13), and several similar groups as terrorist organizations, stating they pose "a national security threat, beyond that posed by 'traditional' criminal organizations."

Hunting Maduro 

Two weeks ago, the Trump administration added Venezuela's "Cartel de los Soles", the "Cartel of the Suns", to a list of international terrorist groups receiving "special attention," alleging it is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other senior figures in his regime.

On Thursday, the US Justice and State Departments announced the government was doubling the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million. He has been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The administration again described him as the head of a cartel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi said he "will not escape justice and will be held accountable for his heinous crimes."

Asked about Trump's authorization of military force against the cartels, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: "President Trump's top priority is protecting the homeland. That's why he took the bold step of targeting several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations."

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Mexico is weighing the use of masked judges to preside over organized crime trials, a measure aimed at shielding members of the judiciary from potential retribution by drug cartels. This proposal, added this week to a contentious package of judicial reforms, comes in response to a surge in murders of police chiefs, prosecutors, and judges as cartel power has expanded since 2018.

Mexico's courts could use masked judges for cartel trialshttps://t.co/Qvt3nlSmVH

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 28, 2024

According to The Telegraph, the amendment to the planned overhaul of the court system calls for "judges without faces," leaving the implementation details to senior judges. This consideration follows several high-profile attacks on judicial figures, including the murder of Judge Roberto Elías Martínez in the central state of Zacatecas in December 2022. Prosecutors allege that Martínez's assassination was ordered from within a prison where two defendants in cases he was overseeing were being held. In Zacatecas, 103 judges have reportedly received threats.

The proposal draws parallels to measures employed in Peru during the 1990s to try alleged members of the Shining Path terrorist group. However, the Peruvian system, which involved masked judges or those seated behind screens, proved highly controversial and led to numerous miscarriages of justice.

The United Nations has cautioned that the use of anonymous judges could potentially violate suspects' rights to due process. Despite these concerns, the judicial reform package, which also includes provisions for the election of judges, appears to have sufficient support in the Mexican Congress to pass.

Critics have labeled the reforms as populist and authoritarian, arguing they could undermine judicial independence and allow political control over the courts. The proposed changes have sparked economic concerns, with the Mexican peso's value declining as investors worry about the rule of law in the country.

US Ambassador Ken Salazar has taken the unusual step of publicly criticizing the reforms, describing them as a "threat to democracy." This statement prompted a sharp response from outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who announced on Tuesday that he was putting relations with the United States and Canada "on pause" after both countries questioned the legal reforms.

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