On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to strengthen border security and stop the flow of illegal immigrants and narcotics into the United States. And to pressure Mexico into cooperating, he has subsequently threatened to impose 25% tariffs on a swathe of Mexican exports – tariffs now on pause until April 2.

The stakes rose significantly on January 20, when Trump imposed a terrorist designation for cartels and other transnational criminal organizations. The Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)/Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designations grant the US government broad legal and military powers, significantly expanding Washington’s ability to combat these groups through counterterrorism measures.

Under the new designation, military action in Mexico could hypothetically be authorized as part of counterterrorism operations, similar to missions against ISIS or Al-Qaeda. The US military, intelligence agencies, and Special Forces could be directed to conduct strikes, raids, or surgical missions against cartel leaders and infrastructure, even well beyond US borders.

Although US troops have not yet been sent across the border, the Pentagon is deploying a Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) and a general support aviation battalion (GSAB) to the US-Mexico border under President Trump’s directive to strengthen border security. The deployment increases the total number of active-duty personnel at the border to approximately 9,000, and it aligns with Trump’s broader effort to “seal the border” and combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

According to US Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 4th Infantry Division, with 4,400 soldiers, and 500 troops from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, will take on support roles rather than direct enforcement operations. Their tasks include detection and monitoring, administrative and logistical support, vehicle maintenance, and engineering. The aviation unit will provide
personnel and equipment transport as well as medical evacuations using UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks.