America’s War On Cartels Gets A War On Terror Makeover
Washington is applying two decades of hard-earned battlefield experience to combat the enemy in America’s backyard, but this tactic may not destroy cartels at the root.
Washington is applying two decades of hard-earned battlefield experience to combat the enemy in America’s backyard, but this tactic may not destroy cartels at the root.
On Monday, the U.S. military moved a number of MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador, the New York Times reported. Additionally, American Special Forces have been partnering with and training law enforcement to combat illicit drug networks.
Nicknamed the “hunter-killer,” the Reaper drone was commonly used in drone strikes against al-Qaida, al-Shabaab and the Islamic State during the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
“Based on our assessment of what needs to be done, this plan focuses on five core lines of effort: dismantling illicit networks, attacking network logistics, preventing adversary regeneration, bolstering partner sovereignty and security, and building a strong coalition,” United States Southern Command SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovantold the Hill.
Since President Donald Trump entered office for his second term, 20 Latin-American based cartels have been categorized as foreign terror organizations.
“Yes, I think that is the direction both in the language and in the approach,” George Mason University professor and organized crime expert Dr. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera told the Daily Caller News Foundation when asked if the Pentagon was using the GWOT model on cartels.