Part 4/13:
Critics within Mexico suggest that more direct intervention might be necessary. Senator Lily Tes of Mexico’s National Action Party has called for deeper cooperation, proposing that U.S. forces assist directly in fighting organized crime on Mexican soil. Supporting this narrative is recent surveillance activity, with reconnaissance planes flying over Mexico’s Baja California and the Caloapla cartel stronghold of Culiacán, raising questions about the scope of U.S. operations in the region.
This militarization underscores an increasingly aggressive stance toward drug cartels, equating them with insurgent or terrorist groups, which could lead to expanded military operations—including drone strikes and special operations missions—inside Mexico.