HUGE: President Trump Directs Pentagon To Target Drug Cartels

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This is a huge development.

President Trump has just directed senior Pentagon officials to develop potential strategies for deploying U.S. military forces in operations targeting drug cartels.

The move comes as the Trump administration is dialing in on protecting the United States against drug violence and foreign terrorist organizations.

ABC News reported more on Trump’s latest orders to the Pentagon:

President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to prepare options for the possible use of U.S. military force against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News on Friday.
One official said that any possible use of U.S. military assets is not imminent.

It remains unclear exactly what the authorization will allow and what military operations would be considered as potential options that the U.S. military has been authorized to prepare. There are sure to be questions about the legality of such operations.

The New York Times was first to report that Trump had signed a directive ordering the Pentagon to prepare military options against the cartels.

The Hill added more details on Trump’s orders to the Pentagon:

The Times reported that U.S. military officials have started drawing up plans for how the military could target cartels. But any unilateral strikes against the groups could also raise legal issues if individuals are killed who do not pose an imminent threat or who are not part of a conflict where Congress has authorized military action.

“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to The Hill.

Trump upon taking office took executive action to designate several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which provided additional law enforcement tools to crack down on their activity.

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