WASHINGTON — A high-ranking Pentagon official clarified on Tuesday that the U.S. special operations forces currently lack the authority to conduct drone strikes against drug cartels in Mexico, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to label these groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
Colby Jenkins, serving as the assistant defense secretary for special operations, explained to a Senate committee that Trump’s designation does not immediately empower the U.S. military to take direct military action against these cartels. Under questioning from Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, Jenkins stated that the designation “helps us unlock the doors” for a more comprehensive government approach to tackling the drug crisis.
Slotkin pointed out that Elon Musk, one of President Trump’s prominent advisors involved in reforming the federal government, suggested that the foreign terrorist designation would allow the U.S. to conduct drone strikes on the cartels. Musk made this assertion on February 19 on social media platform X. However, Jenkins countered that this is not the case and that the military can now offer options and stand ready if President Trump requests further measures to secure the border.
U.S. Northern Command has enhanced its manned surveillance flights across the U.S.-Mexico border, closely monitoring drug cartels and the distribution of fentanyl, while also expanding intelligence collaboration with Mexico based on these flights, according to remarks made by Gen. Gregory Guillot to senators in February. Furthermore, unmanned U.S. drones are currently engaged in surveillance over Mexico’s airspace, as noted by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
President Trump’s designation of numerous gangs and cartels trafficking drugs into the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations was made on February 19, effectively increasing the constraints on their operations and providing law enforcement agencies with what the State Department describes as “additional tools” to disrupt these groups.
Gen. Guillot, who leads U.S. Northern Command, also informed senators of his intentions to seek greater authority from Congress for conducting “advise-and-assist” operations collaboratively with Mexico’s elite special forces units.