Executive Summary 

Washington may be preparing to intensify pressure on drug cartels through kinetic strikes inside Mexico, as pointed out by current indicators and internal documents. Ongoing intelligence collection programs from Langley, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Border Patrol through surveillance flights of unnamed airframes may be laying the groundwork for such action, or may support any such action, if it begins. The Trump Administration’s unilateral activities and statements regarding Mexican cartels have already ruffled feathers in Mexico City and any further action may isolate one of Washington’s most important partners in the counternarcotics and border security arenas.

Images Sourced From: Senior Master Sgt. Michael Knodle, Tech. Sgt. Justin Norton