U.S. Plans Attacks Against Drug Cartels in Mexico After the Assassination of Mayor Carlos Manzo

US Plans Attacks on Mexican Cartels

Drones to Target Narco Labs

Mexico on Diplomatic Alert

The White House and top US military officials are reportedly discussing a plan to launch covert operations against drug cartels in Mexico, according to official sources cited by NBC News.

The initiative, driven by President Donald Trump, includes sending troops and intelligence agents into Mexican territory to neutralize drug labs and cartel leaders following the assassination of Michoacán mayor Carlos Manzo.

According to EFE reports, the plan is part of an expansion of the ongoing US anti-narcotics operation in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Although deployment is not imminent, officials have confirmed that personnel training has already begun.

Internal discussions have yet to determine the mission’s scope or limits, which would require coordination with intelligence and special operations agencies.

Drones and Troops Under Covert Command as US Plans Attacks on Mexican Cartels

US attacks on Mexican cartels after assassination of Mayor Carlos Manzo – Photo: Shutterstock

The plan calls for the extensive use of drones to identify and strike drug laboratories, as well as to locate key cartel members.

Sources cited by NBC stated that some of these drones would require ground operators within Mexican territory, implying the direct presence of US military personnel.

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The units involved would belong to the Joint Special Operations Command, an elite force trained for missions outside traditional military frameworks.

According to the report, such anti-drug operations would be carried out under Title 50, a legal provision that authorizes the US intelligence community to conduct covert actions abroad.

CIA Participation and High Secrecy

The framework would include CIA agents working alongside special forces. Washington plans to keep the mission under strict secrecy, mirroring tactics used in recent strikes on drug-linked vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Those operations have reportedly left dozens dead in areas near Venezuela and Colombia, though without official acknowledgment.

Sources close to the Pentagon emphasized that, unlike previous plans concerning Venezuela, the potential intervention in Mexico would not have political motives nor seek to undermine the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“The Trump administration is committed to using all the state’s resources to confront the threat that cartels pose to American citizens,” a senior official told NBC.

Diplomatic Tensions and Recent Background

In February, the Trump administration classified cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that opened the door to possible military action.

A month later, reports began circulating about a potential anti-drug operation inside Mexico, triggering alarm in diplomatic and security circles.

The issue had been previously stalled by the White House and the Pentagon, which rejected DEA proposals for selective airstrikes, EFE reported.

Although Trump has repeatedly vowed to “go after the cartels on their own turf,” he has so far avoided ordering direct military incursions.

The Republican president has praised Mexico’s cooperation in joint border security efforts, but NBC’s revelations suggest his government may now be prepared to cross a historic line in the ongoing war on drugs — signaling a potential new phase in US attacks on Mexican cartels.