US Army Strikes on Mexican Cartels is Worse Than You Think

s the US government really calling for legislation to invade Mexico and destroy the cartels? On March 7, 2023, 2 American tourists were by the cartel while visiting Mexico. In response Senator Lindsay Graham announced his plan to introduce a bill that would lay the groundwork for authorizing the use of U.S. Military Force against Mexican cartels. A major step as the pentagon typically just advises and assists with anti-narcotics operations. But this new bill would bestow upon the Mexican cartels the unique honor of becoming one of only 65 foreign terror organizations in the world.Show more

Written by: Chris Cappy & Brian Sproule
Video Edited by: Michael Michaelides

This FTO designation would have many consequences, among them it would authorize the use of US military Targeted drone strikes with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, nighttime American special forces surgical raids on cartel leaders as they sleep, satellite intelligence assets refocused on the southern border. Supporters say this will give the US government more powerful lethal tools to destroy the cartel. Critics claim it could ruin a relationship with an important strategic ally.

Declarations like this are controversial and have understandably alarmed the Mexican government. It’s called into question the correct role of the US military in counter narcotics. From Mexico’s perspective it’s easy to see how they might not see much of a distinction between a targeted missile strike on a drug lab and a full blown invasion.

In 2019 an attack by cartel members had 9 US citizens lives ended and 5 others injured in Mexico inside an area just south of Arizona where rival cartels are still at war. These cartel groups are fighting to secure smuggling routes close to the U.S. border and this activity leads to mistaken identity, cross fire, and sometimes targeted attacks against innocent Americans. US Texas Army National Guard soldiers on the border with Mexico have been shot by machine guns and taunted by heavily armed cartel members across the Rio Grande. This has promoted the US embassy to issue safety warnings advising Americans against traveling to certain dangerous regions in Mexico.