WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS
In the shadow of U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to mediate peace in Ukraine and trade disputes with nearly every country in the world, news passed quietly that—for the first time in both of his terms—he has declared war, reports Index.
According to correspondents from major American media outlets at the White House, Trump signed a secret directive instructing the Pentagon to prepare military options—including drones, naval forces, and potentially missile strikes—against drug cartels in Latin America.
The order does not name any specific countries, except that any intervention in Mexico is explicitly ruled out, despite the presence there of the infamous Sinaloa cartel.
The Trump administration provided a legal basis for the decision by designating the drug cartels as terrorist organizations that, through their actions, threaten the functioning of the United States. Such a designation allows the military to conduct operations at sea and potentially on foreign soil, including killing or capturing suspected cartel members.
The use of military force in this way raises a number of questions, including possible violations of international law and U.S. legal constraints. However, since the order is not public, no legal review is currently taking place.
Agenda 47 and the Terrorist Designation
The U.S. has already increased surveillance of the cartels, including drone flights over Mexico to locate fentanyl labs—operations that began under Joe Biden’s administration.
Now, efforts are expanding to include sanctions, asset freezes, cyber operations, and international cooperation to cut off financial flows.
All of this is part of “Agenda 47,” which Trump announced prior to the election and confirmed during his inauguration.
In March, the State Department published a list of cartels, designating a total of eight as terrorist organizations—six from Mexico, one from Venezuela, and one from El Salvador.
After media reports of the order on August 12, Mexico extradited 26 high-ranking cartel members to the U.S. on the condition that they would not face the death penalty. This move is seen as a concession to Washington and a sign of increased cooperation out of fear of military action.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that she supports cooperation, but that the country’s sovereignty is not for sale.
“President Trump, our territory is untouchable, our sovereignty is untouchable,” she said. “We can cooperate, but each on their own soil.”
Reactions from Latin American Countries
Other countries included in the order have rejected the idea of U.S. military intervention on their soil.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro agrees with the fight against drug cartels but only with respect for national sovereignty and without American intervention. He advocates for a regional alliance of Latin American countries and believes that the “war on drugs” cannot succeed, suggesting a shift to public health policies and improved living standards.
Brazil refused the U.S. request to designate its domestic gangs as terrorist organizations, citing that Brazilian law does not classify organized crime groups as terrorists.
In Ecuador, the government has not made a clear statement, but a possible referendum on allowing U.S. military action is being discussed. Media outlets remind readers of the damaging consequences of previous U.S. interventions in the region, and three-quarters of those polled oppose American military actions on their territory.
Venezuela denied the existence of organized crime groups in the country, calling the American allegations propaganda aimed at justifying an intervention to bring about regime change.
Elsewhere in the region, including Guatemala and Honduras, analysts warn of the risk of increased anti-American sentiment and regional destabilization.
Jorge Restrepo, director of the Conflict Analysis Center in Colombia, expressed concern over the military force announcement. He said such a strategy risks empowering autocratic regimes in countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua and cannot succeed.
Restrepo believes that any U.S. military intervention will fuel anti-American sentiment and give repressive regimes an excuse to crack down using the narrative of an external threat.
Analysts Warn of Risks
U.S. analysts are divided over Trump’s directive to use military force against Latin American drug cartels, expressing concerns over legal, diplomatic, and strategic consequences.
Brian Finucane, a former legal advisor at the State Department, warned that military actions as outlined are not permitted under U.S. law.
He argued that labeling cartels as terrorist organizations does not grant the authority to use force—that would require additional Congressional approval or an executive power based on self-defense.
Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution warned that military strikes on cartels may bring short-term gains, but they will not dismantle deeply entrenched criminal networks.
Without addressing corruption, poverty, and drug demand within the U.S., military actions could fragment the cartels into smaller but more violent groups, increasing regional instability.
One of America’s leading experts on Latin America, Matteson Ellis, said the directive represents a logical step in Trump’s campaign against cartels, especially with the focus on fentanyl and transnational crime. He stated the goal is “total elimination” of the cartels, though he acknowledged how difficult that is to achieve.
Most analysts believe any actions will be limited to high-ranking cartel members, possibly including drone strikes or capture missions—similar to those carried out against Al-Qaeda.
Focus on Synthetic Drugs
The value of drugs flowing from Latin America to the U.S. is measured in billions of dollars, though exact numbers are unknown since only seizures are documented.
There has been a clear rise in the use of synthetic drugs—fentanyl and methamphetamine. Due to their cheap production and high profitability, they are increasingly replacing traditional drugs like cocaine and heroin. Cartels now earn more from fentanyl than from all other drugs combined.
President Trump has not publicly confirmed the directive, but said he would speak about it very soon.
“Latin America has a lot of cartels and a lot of drugs flowing. We must protect our country. We didn’t do that for four years,” he said.
American media report that the directive will likely be formally presented in a special announcement, particularly because of fentanyl—the drug that Trump previously used as justification for increasing tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
During his campaign, he announced that fentanyl would be designated as a “weapon of mass destruction,” and in line with that, its producers and distributors would face consequences.
