Will America Use Military Force Against Violent Drug Cartels in Mexico as Trump Has Warned?

WEDNESDAY PDB – Back in 2019, after the killing of nine Americans by drug traffickers, President Trump repeatedly asked his advisors if he could launch missile strikes or send special forces into Mexico to destroy cartel drug labs.

In January 2023, Trump vowed that if elected again as commander-in-chief, he would deploy U.S. special forces and other military assets to ‘inflict maximum damage' on cartels.

Well, now with news of an increasingly corrupt Mexican military and the death of more Americans in Mexico, at least one senior U.S. senator is proposing the same thing.

Graham says he will introduce bill to ‘set the stage' for US to use military force in Mexico. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday said he was prepared to introduce legislation to “set the stage” for U.S. military force in Mexico, saying it was time to “get tough” on the neighboring country after four Americans were kidnapped by armed men this week.

This threat from Graham comes as – Spying by Mexico's armed forces brings fears of a ‘military state.' Mexico's armed forces spied on a human rights defender and journalists who were investigating allegations that soldiers had gunned down innocent people, documents show, providing clear evidence of the military's illegal use of surveillance tools against civilians.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of other developing stories.

Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:

NATIONAL SECURITY

Foreign governments are still targeting Americans on social media, NSA says. U.S. government efforts to stem these ‘infowar' efforts are meeting resistance.

Weaponized balloons challenge US air superiority – quite littorally. The future of 21st-century air warfare conjures up images of hypersonic missiles, swarms of smart drones, directed-energy weapons, and artificial intelligence.

HOMELAND DEFENSE

Chinese balloon means NORAD now getting proper attention, VanHerck says. After a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon traversed the United States in late January and early February, much of the public spotlight focused on Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, the head of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

HOMELAND SECURITY

BIG BROTHER IS HERE – FBI, Pentagon helped research facial recognition for street cameras, drones. Internal documents released in response to a lawsuit show the government was deeply involved in pushing for face-scanning technology that could be used for mass surveillance.

CHINA THREAT

Chinese minister warns of conflict unless US changes course. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned Tuesday that Beijing and Washington are headed for “conflict and confrontation.”

The daring ruse that exposed China's campaign to steal American secrets. Here's how the downfall of one intelligence agent revealed the astonishing depth of Chinese industrial espionage.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Russia remains a ‘very capable' cyber adversary, Nakasone says. U.S. Cyber Command is keeping a close watch on digital activity in the Russia-Ukraine war that may coincide with a springtime renewal of military operations, according to the organization's leader, Gen. Paul Nakasone.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 378. Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries has taken full control of the eastern part of the town of Bakhmut, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said.

The Russian military is so low on ammo that troops are reduced to fighting with e-tools. “One of the reservists described being ‘neither physically nor psychologically' prepared for the action.”

Lots of Russian soldiers want to surrender. Ukraine makes it easier with a high-tech hotline. Bound for the battlefield, sounding harried and anxious, the Russian soldier placed a hasty phone call — to a Ukrainian military hotline.

NORTH KOREA

Biden to host South Korean president for state visit in April. Biden will host President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea for a state visit in April, an invitation that signals the country's importance in the administration's efforts to counter threats posed by North Korea's nuclear program and China's rise.

SPACE THREAT

Space Force chief outlines 3-part ‘competitive endurance' theory aimed at ‘space superiority.' In a “Commander's Note” dated March 3, obtained by Breaking Defense, Saltzman argues that the need for space superiority in the face of adversary threats is a key reason the Space Force was created.

Defense budget includes plans for space-based tracking, Kendall says. The Pentagon's fiscal 2024 budget request includes a classified effort to integrate air and space sensors that can track moving targets, according to the Air Force's top civilian official.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Israeli military caught up in divide over Netanyahu's plan. A contentious judicial overhaul that is dividing Israel is tearing at the country's main unifying force: the military.

Hungarian delegation backs Sweden's NATO application. A parliamentary delegation from Hungary said Tuesday that it supports Sweden's NATO membership bid after meeting the speaker of the Swedish parliament to iron out what Hungary's governing party has called “political disputes.”

US MILITARY

Air Force wants more planes faster—plus a thousand drone wingmen. The service secretary previewed the 2024 budget request.

Kendall reveals new details on Air Force plans: 1,000 CCAs, 200 NGAD fighters. The Air Force will field 200 Next-Generation Air Dominance aircraft and 1,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and will request funds in the fiscal 2024 budget to develop these new systems, Secretary Frank Kendall said.

END of PDB – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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