The “War” on Foreign Cartels Can Succeed if the Administration is Serious

The Trump administration has made its opinions clear on drug cartels and the negative impact they have on Americans. However, designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations and unilaterally conducting potentially illegal strikes with no oversight will not bring the administration the success it seeks, nor provide tangible relief to Americans. On September 2, 2025, the US military struck a Venezuelan boat that the administration claimed belonged to the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Despite calls for evidence from Congress, the administration has provided unclear justifications for the strike, leaving questions about its legality. It is important to recognize that the heightened US military presence in the Caribbean Sea is more closely tied to efforts to pressure the Maduro regime in Venezuela than to directly combating drug cartels. However, this increased presence still presents an opportunity to address the threats they pose. Efforts to combat cartels must include cooperation with South American nations with high levels of cartel activity, such as Colombia, Mexico, and Honduras. Additionally, greater law enforcement presence on the border and within vulnerable communities and substantive addiction support to struggling Americans are important starting points domestically. Military action may be effective messaging to voters, but it will not ultimately accomplish the stated end goals.

The first step for the Trump administration would be to end the classification of its actions as a war. Historically, the US has focused much of its resources on law enforcement and punitive measures, resulting in the imprisonment of thousands. Yet, there is no correlation between the imprisonment of drug offenders and reductions in overall drug overdose deaths. The lack of results highlights the futility of penalizing drug use. Worse, higher rates of incarceration actually have detrimental effects on incarcerated parents’ children and communities at large. Additionally, the definition of a war limits the potential scope of the effort to combat drug cartels to military or police action, rather than a holistic approach to the issue. Mexico’s own experience with military action against cartels has shown that cartels will respond violently and will engage in terrorism, murder, and extortion when threatened. Military and police actions are expensive, unsustainable, and ignore the primary driver of cartel drug revenue: Addiction.

Policy analysts have long recognized US efforts as “supply-side” strategies that focus on the apprehension of drugs, dealers, and high-level leaders. Yet, decades of this approach have produced few results. The alternative is to focus on the demand for drugs within the US by approaching the issue as a public health crisis. This shift requires shifting resources from incarceration toward treatment, prevention, and community engagement. Evidence shows that harm reduction initiatives and investment in mental health services result in lower addiction rates and drug-related deaths. Medication-assisted treatment, for example, is proven to reduce fentanyl use significantly in patients and is associated with reductions in withdrawals and cravings. A serious federal commitment to this initiative and similar ones can create a robust support network for those who are struggling with addiction.

These efforts, paired with the interdiction of drugs, targeting of cartel finances, and multilateral efforts to combat cartels and addiction, are essential to win the war against foreign cartels. Cooperation with Latin American governments must be strengthened through intelligence sharing, economic development programs, and anti-corruption measures in countries where cartels flourish. Central and South American countries are often used to grow and distribute drugs and provide safe havens for cartel activity. By cooperating with foreign governments, the US can help make important contributions to the domestic challenges that these countries face. The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala demonstrates that foreign cooperation and support of anti-corruption initiatives with international backing can help strengthen justice and political systems that cartels often extort. Helping effectively prosecute criminals and corrupt officials will ultimately make it more difficult for drug cartels to thrive.

Combining law enforcement with health-based responses and international cooperation offers the United States its best chance to reduce cartel influence at home and abroad. The administration’s “war” messaging has produced headlines but little substance. History shows that no progress can be expected if the administration maintains its linear focus on punitive action. What is needed from the Trump administration is a recognition that addiction is as much a public health challenge as it is a criminal one, and that the strength of international criminal organizations is directly tied to the strength of a foreign country’s institutions. All efforts that ignore these realities are doomed to fail. Efforts to combat cartels must start in the US itself, and they cannot be defined solely by mass incarceration or military campaigns.

Photo Credit

SSGT Haley Phillips, CC0, via U.S. Air Force