Trump Faces Major Decision On Killing Cartel Leaders: REPORT

President Donald Trump reportedly is facing a split within his administration when it comes to killing cartel leaders.

President Donald Trump and the United States military are escalating anti-cartel efforts and that includes a list of several significant actions:

• Unprecedented spy flights.
• Reaper drones flying in Mexico.
• 7th Special Forces group training the Mexican military.
• Declaring cartels foreign terrorist organizations.
• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declaring all options are on the table.

President Donald Trump has vowed to do something about drug cartels in Mexico. Drugs pushed by the cartels have become a major problem in America. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump's administration reportedly split on attacking cartels.

A new report from The New York Times paints a picture of a White House that is split on whether direct strikes should happen or if a scaled-back approach should be embraced.

The New York Times reported the following details:

"On one side, several people familiar with the matter say, some U.S. officials are advocating for unilateral military action against cartel figures and infrastructure to stem the flow of drugs across the border. On the other side, those people say, some officials are arguing for increased partnership with the Mexican government to ensure, among other things, continued cooperation on the issue of migration."

The report claims Sebastian Gorka, President Trump’s senior director for counterterrorism within the White House National Security Council, is working with a former JSOC officer to push for direct strikes. On the other hand, Stephen Miller is pushing for an approach that includes more cooperation with the Mexican government.

Will the military be used to strike drug cartels in Mexico? (Credit: Getty Images)

While Trump's plan remains unclear at this time, I can say with 100% certainty that the United States military has the capabilities to carry out direct strikes if that call is made.

Our Tier One forces are unlike anything else on the planet. Whether it's Delta Force or SEAL Team 6, the USA's ability to conduct direct action raids is unrivaled. As former Unit operator Brent Tucker bluntly said, we would wipe the floor with them in direct combat.

Add in the Army Rangers as another possible tool, and the cartels will have no idea what hit them.

President Donald Trump faces serious questions about how to handle drug cartels in Mexico. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Now, does that mean it's going to happen? Clearly, in The NYT's reporting, there are concerns about how Mexico might react. All of that has to be considered, but at the end of the day, the United States has to do something. We can't let the cartels push their poison into the country to kill our people. How will that be handled? That remains to be seen, but it certainly feels like something is coming. Let me know how you want to see the cartels handled at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.