Trump is going to get the results he wants. One way or another.
President Donald Trump has officially unleashed the U.S. military to target violent Latin American drug cartels, now labeled as foreign terrorist organizations. The historic move marks the toughest step yet in his mission to defend America’s borders and crush the fentanyl crisis that’s destroying families across the nation.
This powerful order grants U.S. forces full authority to strike cartel operatives by land and sea, dismantling their networks before they can funnel more drugs, guns, and criminals into the United States. Until now, such action had been left to law enforcement — but Trump has made it clear that the military is now in the fight.
A senior White House insider told The Post that the president’s mission is clear: “He will not stop until [Venezuelan dictator Nicolas] Maduro’s Cartel de Los Soles is wiped from the map and their influence across the Western Hemisphere is destroyed.”
The State Department’s updated terrorist list now includes:
- Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua
- Cartel de Los Soles
- MS-13, the savage El Salvador-based gang infamous for murders, drug trafficking, and human smuggling
Trump first promised on the 2024 campaign trail to take the fight directly to the cartels — even inside Mexico if necessary. Since returning to office, he has:
- Raised tariffs on Canada and Mexico over their failure to stop smuggling
- Ordered ICE and Border Patrol to target gang-connected illegal immigrants
- Met with families torn apart by cartel violence
- Vowed to seize cartel assets and use the funds to help victims of “migrant crime”
Venezuelan strongman Maduro — in power since 2013 — has become a prime target. The Justice and State Departments are now offering $50 million for information leading to his arrest on U.S. drug trafficking charges.
The crackdown involves unprecedented coordination between the Department of Defense, Justice Department, Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Treasury — signaling Trump’s determination to treat cartel violence as a direct threat to U.S. national security.
“President Trump’s top priority is defending the homeland,” said Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly. “That’s why he took the bold step to designate these cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. He will not rest until America’s streets are safe.”
With fentanyl overdoses killing tens of thousands of Americans each year, the president’s latest move sends a powerful message: the days of cartels operating freely in our hemisphere are over.
