Trump sending U.S. Special Forces into Mexico has once again entered the political discourse. This news came from Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, who, in a recent appearance on the news, declared that the president will use his full might of the United States special operations to eliminate the Mexican cartels, which is included in the new executive orders.

While this idea is not new in Republican discourse, it has become hazardous now, given the cartels in Mexico’s increased military capacity and tactical skills. Directing American Special Operations Forces against the cartels would put them up against a sizable near-peer competitor in asymmetric warfare, thus putting the U.S. government into a position of slight escalatory advantage.

Special Ops Forces vs. Mexican Drug Cartels

Members of the incoming Trump administration have suggested putting up U.S. special operations against the Mexican cartels. The proposals are similar to how the United States has previously engaged in counterterrorism abroad, reflecting just how much the drug trade, especially fentanyl originating from China, has negatively impacted U.S. communities.

Every action such as this always comes with risks, as the cartels can fight back. Even considering military action would first require strengthening complementary efforts with the Mexican government and domestically among local and federal government agencies in the United States.

Mexican cartels are not merely criminal organizations; they operate as paramilitary entities with deep financial resources and global supply chains, even using military weapons and sophisticated logistical networks that extend into the United States.

It is unlikely that such groups would passively absorb U.S. attacks. Instead, as history shows, cartels are highly likely to retaliate preemptively and reactively. They possess a substantial capacity for terrorism that, when coupled with their established presence within the United States, could escalate conflict far beyond what proponents of a purely military solution may anticipate.

Why Are the Mexican Cartels a Threat to National Security?

Mexican cartels have been showing the ability to retaliate against perceived threats, as demonstrated throughout Mexico’s history.

When Felipe Calderón became president of Mexico in 2006, he declared a “war on drugs,” bringing military forces up against cartels – this resulted in violence.

The cartels targeted law enforcement and officials. Police forces waved their white flags in fear, and public officials were killed in broad daylight. Beyond physical violence, cartels also employed psychological tactics, using brutal killings and public displays of bodies to instill terror among the population.

With this being said, the U.S. homeland is not immune to the consequences of engaging in direct military action against Mexican cartels, and such a campaign would not see the cartels simply ceding the initiative and sitting on their side of the border waiting to be attacked.

The very networks that facilitate drug trafficking spanning from cities to rural communities, provide cartels with the infrastructure for potential retaliatory strikes.

Cross-Border Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump has now indicated a strong willingness to use military force while including airstrikes and special operations against the Mexican cartels.

This stance now follows a quite recent incident where suspected cartel members opened fire on the U.S. Border Patrol agents who were monitoring illegal drug smuggling activities at the Texas-Mexico border.

U.S. President Donald Trump has long criticized the cartels for their criminal roles in the fentanyl crisis, which has seen overdose deaths in the U.S. rise dramatically and exponentially.

During a recent news interview, Pete Hegseth stated that all the options would be considered if the cartels were designated as foreign terrorist organizations while emphasizing the shift towards securing the U.S. border from the threats originating from Mexico.

How Should the U.S. Take Action?

Any U.S. military campaign to combat the Mexican cartels would only win if accompanied by a close partnership with the new Mexican administration led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has always expressed a desire to eliminate organized crimes.

Task forces and enhanced intelligence, including special training programs, can help fight Mexico’s narcotics skills. The most important thing is to address the corruption within Mexico, which has taken so much effort to remove the cartels. The United States can achieve a greater goal without using violence that actions alone often provoke with building relationships with other nations.

When and where no other options exist, the United States could launch appropriate unilateral operations against high-value cartel targets at the invitation of the Mexican government and in support of counter-narcotics objectives shared by the United States and Mexico.

Read next:

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• Texas National Guard Marred by Controversies Near Mexico Border

Sources:

• Mexico’s Long War: Drugs, Crime, and the Cartels | Council on Foreign Relations
• Mexican Cartels Planning Attacks on US Border Agents Amid Crackdown
• From Cartels to Terrorists: Trump Imposes a New Paradigm on Mexico in the War on Drugs