Trump Tells Military to Target Latin American Drug Cartels, Source Says

President Donald Trump has directed the military to target drug cartels in Latin America, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News. The exact timing and nature of any military action remain unclear, but the directive underscores the administration's broader strategy to combat the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

This effort is part of a larger push by the Trump administration to label drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Earlier this year, the State Department designated eight gangs, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as such. The designation has since expanded to include two Haitian gangs and the Houthis in Yemen. The Treasury Department has also sanctioned the Cartel de los Soles, a Venezuela-based group linked to President Nicolás Maduro, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

The Trump administration has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, a move that Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil called 'pathetic' and 'crude political propaganda.' House and Senate Democrats have urged the administration to use these designations to disrupt the flow of U.S.-made guns to cartels and impose harsher penalties on those providing material support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the designation allows the U.S. to treat these groups as national security threats, not just law enforcement issues. 'It becomes a national security issue,' he said, adding that the government can now use intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense to target these groups if the opportunity arises.

Trump has also sought to leverage the military in advancing his immigration agenda. Over 10,000 service members have been deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Pentagon has established three National Defense Areas in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In June, Trump ordered the mobilization of 4,000 California National Guard members to Los Angeles, despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, and deployed about 700 active-duty Marines to the city.

These actions reflect a broader strategy to use military resources to address both drug trafficking and immigration challenges, signaling a shift in how the U.S. government approaches security threats on the southern border.