Does the CIA get ready to attack drug cartels in Mexico and other countries? This is what is known

On February 19, the United States Department of Stateunder the administration of President Trump, officially appointed six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. These groups are the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel (CJNG), the United Cartels, the Northwest Cartel, the Gulf Cartel and the new Michoacan family. In addition, the Venezuelan band was included in the list Aragua train Already the Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). ​

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This decision was interpreted as a key step to take direct lethal actions on cartels in Mexico and other countries in the region, even without coordination with the governments of the nations where operations are carried out. However, in USA There are military controls that ensure that it is not a process that can be given automatically.

An American official and three people informed about the matter told the news chain CNN that the analysis that the INC About their faculties It does not mean that Trump has ordered direct measures against cartels.

Specifically, the CIA would be analyzing What kind of activities could carry out legally and what would be the potential risks in all available options.

The CIA is worried that the use of traditional anti -terrorist tools against the cartels entails A much higher risk of collateral damage to US citizens that in similar operations carried out in Middle EastSaid CNN.

What would be the responsibility of the CIA and its agents in case of accidental death of an American in any operation? The agency wonders.

It is also being evaluated What kind of reprisals would the cartels take in the United States if they are attackedS, it is known that these have a presence on American soil and have fire power for terrorist actions.

CNN says he could not determine who ordered the analysis that the CIA is doing.

The news chain remarked that the CIA has the legal authority to carry out lethal attacks by itself or provide information on objectives or other support to another nation to carry them out, as long as it has the proper authorization of the president and adjusts to the set of US laws and regulations that govern armed conflicts.

Pentagon’s position

Tuesday, Colby Jenkinswho works as Deputy Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, told a commission of the United States Senate that special operations forces do not have the authority to launch drones against drug cartels in Mexicodespite Trump He has designated them as foreign terrorist organizations.

Democratic senator Elissa Slotkin told her Jenkins that the president’s advisor Elon Musk has stated that the designation of foreign terrorist means that USA It can carry out drones against cartels.

Jenkins replied that it is not so. He added that the army can provide options and be ready if Trump You need to do more to protect the border.

General Gregory Guillot had confirmed in February the senators who The United States North Command is watching the border more constantly and is increasing its exchange of intelligence with Mexico On the basis on those flights, the AP agency recalled.

In Mexico, the president Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed its firm opposition to any unilateral military intervention by the United States in Mexican territory to combat cartels.

Sheinbaum emphasized that such actions would violate national sovereignty and would not contribute to solve the drug trafficking problem.

The president added that safety cooperation between Mexico and USAincluding the use of Drones for surveillanceunder bilateral agreements and with respect to legality. He stressed that these operations are carried out at the request of the Mexican government and are part of established protocols for years.

“A very dangerous scenario”

The international analyst Roberto Heimovits He said to Commerce that it is not clear if the order to designate Terrorists The cartels empowers the CIA to act unilaterally in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, among others.

“They are two very dangerous scenarios. If, for example, it acts with the permission of governments, which is the least dangerous, it must be determined what the limit would be. Can you act against the drug trafficking leaders? But drug trafficking is a very vast organization that has leaders, has lower rank operators, has lawyers, counters, etc. Are all objectives? That must be defined, “said the analyst.

Heimovits also asked Who would be responsible if the CIA kills one or more innocent people in an operation.

“The use of force often causes what is called eupemistically Collateral damagebut they are really innocent human lives and that is a great risk, ”said Heimovits.

Warned that in reprisal Mexican cartels could react by attacking US tourists, which would seriously damage tourism, and also attack interests and business of companies in the United States in Mexico.

“This would open a series of negative scenarios and it is not well understood what it would be intended to achieve with the authorization for the CIA to use force. As they say, A basic principle of strategy is that before using force you have to be very clear what is intended to achieve”Heimovits said.

He recalled that the United States has an agency dedicated exclusively to acting against the drug trafficking abroad, which is the DEAthe same that has operated for decades in countries such as Peru, Mexico, Colombia, among others. “One wonders what else the CIA would do apart from what the DEA is doing.”

Heimovits argued that the so -called war against drug trafficking has been giving since the early 1970s, without significantly decreased the supply or demand of drugs in the world. “For example, Heroin entered the United States before, a lot of resources was invested to fight heroin, and now they are with the problem of fentanyl, which is much more lethal”

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