Trump Admin Considering Drone Strikes On Mexican Cartels Without Coordinating With Sheinbaum Government

The Trump administration is considering sending troops inside Mexico to conduct drone strikes on cartel drug labs and operatives, according to a new report. The administration would prefer to coordinate the potential operations with their Mexican counterparts but have not ruled out proceeding unilaterally, NBC News detailed.

The planning is in its early stages but a final decision has not been made. Should it be approved, the operation wouldn't be imminent. However, the early stages of training for the potential mission have begun.

The troops, the outlet added, would operate under the authority of the U.S. intelligence community, known as Title 50 status.

Should the mission be effectively approved, actions would not be publicized. "The Trump administration is committed to utilizing an all-of-government approach to address the threats cartels pose to American citizens," a senior official told the outlet when contacted about the story.

In another passage of the story, NBC News claimed that U.S. troops in the country would largely resort to drone strikes to target drug labs and top cartel operatives. The use of drones would require U.S. troops to operate them on Mexican soil.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Mexico is "ran by the cartels" and that the U.S. has to "defend" itself against drug-traffickers despite his respect for counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum.

Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected U.S. strikes in its territory, saying in early September that such a move is "not necessary."

Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Sheinbaum said such an action would not manage to fully eradicate criminal organizations in the country, claiming that fighting them "is much more complex."

"We don't agree with it. Firstly because it's not necessary. Secondly because it would violate our sovereignty. And thirdly because organized crime is much more complex," Sheinbaum claimed.

A report from mid-October had detailed that Mexican officials did not believe the administration would conduct strikes inside the country. They said cooperation between the countries is currently very strong and successful to jeopardize it with unilateral strikes.

Cartel operatives, on their end, were not particularly worried about the U.S. conducting strikes in Mexico, saying operations wouldn't be seriously harmed. "We don't only have maritime routes, we have land and air as well," an operative told The New York Times. "There is always a way," the operative added.