The Trump administration reportedly has begun training U.S. troops for a potential mission to target drug cartels inside Mexico.
Two current and two former U.S. officials told NBC News that the early stage training involves Joint Special Operations Command units and intelligence officers under Title 50 authority, which allows covert operations led by the CIA.
The effort could represent a major escalation in President Donald Trump's campaign against cartels, expanding from recent strikes in Venezuela and maritime operations in the Caribbean to potential ground missions in Mexico.
Newsmax has reached out to the White House for comment.
The CIA declined comment, while the Pentagon referred inquiries to the White House.
According to NBC News, U.S. forces would focus primarily on drone strikes against cartel drug labs and leadership targets, with some drones requiring on-the-ground operators for precision and safety.
Although no final decision has been made, officials described ongoing debates over the mission's scale and whether it should proceed with or without coordination from the Mexican government.
"The Trump administration is committed to utilizing an all-of-government approach to address the threats cartels pose to American citizens," a senior administration official told NBC.
The reported planning comes as the administration intensifies efforts to dismantle human smuggling and narcotics networks linked to cartels operating across Mexico, Venezuela, and beyond.
Just last week, the Treasury Department sanctioned the Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organization, a Cancun-based ring accused of moving thousands of illegal migrants and laundering millions in cartel-linked profits.
Treasury Undersecretary John Hurley said the administration "will continue to target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations to protect the American people."
The administration's approach of combining financial sanctions, intelligence coordination, and now potential military intervention marks a sweeping shift from previous U.S. policy that relied heavily on cooperation with Mexico's military and police.
Trump's strategy follows a broader pattern of escalation against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.
The Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal last week reported U.S. planners were mapping out land targets inside Venezuela linked to drug trafficking networks.
Those reports prompted criticism from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused the Herald of publishing "fake stories" based on unreliable sources.
However, recent deployments of U.S. naval and air assets suggest the administration is prepared for a regional campaign against cartel-linked actors.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly rejected any suggestion of U.S. "intervention or interference," insisting that Mexico "coordinates and collaborates, but does not subordinate itself."
Still, her government has quietly allowed an expansion of CIA surveillance flights and has deployed 10,000 troops to the U.S. border, increased fentanyl seizures, and extradited 55 cartel leaders to the United States this year.
Trump, who has called cartel violence a "national security threat," has repeatedly said that traditional law enforcement methods have failed.
"Mexico is run by the cartels," he remarked recently, adding that lethal deterrence is the only language traffickers understand.
If approved, the Mexico mission would mark the first U.S. military action inside Mexican territory since the early 20th century, an extraordinary move that underscores Trump's willingness to confront cartels directly to curb drug trafficking and protect American communities.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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