The point I was replying to was that deployment of spy planes against cartels was something that happened first time in February of 2025. The parent claimed that this has never happened before because it would have been considered an act of war.
This is not the case. The US intelligence has been deploying forces in Latin America against cartels for long long time.
The US had the permission of Colombia's government at the time because the US was already there helping with the Colombian Conflict. It was part of SOUTHCOM [0].
Mexico withheld permission for American military and intelligence deployments from 1990 to 2025 (DEA and other law enforcement was allowed), but they changed recently.
> The parent claimed that this has never happened before because it would have been considered an act of war.
Because it has never happened before in Mexico. It has been political suicide to even consider allowing foreign troops in Mexico because of the memory of the French Occupation.
You cannot treat "Latin America" as a monolith. Each country has a different sociopolitical background and history.
Come on these are just semantics. There are literally photos of Americans in unmarked uniforms at the arrest of Guzman. You can slap the DEA logo to anyone and carry on your mil operation. I understand that no country wants the US military getting involved, so DEA is the best PR formula. Solves the problem and your people do not revolt.
But let's not fool ourselves. These are American operations taking place in Mexican soil (with the cooperation of the Mexican forces of course, it was not an attack against Mexico).
No? I just mentioned the earliest case of US vs cartels I am aware of. I could have used any of the Mexican drug lord cases available (and they are many).
All including dea with intel and actual boots in Mexico.
The semantics comment was on the point that this is not technically the US military. Sure it is not the military it just has access to its personel and equipment.
> Sure it is not the military it just has access to its personel and equipment.
It does not have access to the same equipment or (more critically) personel - especially in intelligence, as intelligence ops were not allowed either until the Sheinbaum admin.
This is not the case. The US intelligence has been deploying forces in Latin America against cartels for long long time.