Mexico Cartels Beware: An Attack may happen at any time. – Gary J. Hale of SWJ’s El Centro
Could the US use drones against Mexican cartels? by Rosa Muñoz Lima April 10, 2025
In this article, Rosa Munoz Lima interviews Gary J. Hale of SWJ’s El Centro and former DEA operative for Deutsche Welle (DW). This interview offers a critical examination of the potential US military response to Mexican drug cartels, centered on the legal and strategic implications of drone strikes. The analysis hinges on the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation, which fundamentally transforms how the US might approach targeting cartel leadership and infrastructure.
Hale draws a compelling parallel to previous extraterritorial operations. He specifically references the Osama bin Laden raid to illustrate the precedent for unilateral military action across international borders. The potential for intervention emerges not from mere designation, but from a hypothetical catalyzing event such as a significant attack on American citizens or property within Mexico. The geopolitical calculus is complex. While Mexico’s sovereignty remains paramount, the intricate trade relationships and security dynamics create a delicate diplomatic environment.
The interview reveals a nuanced framework for potential action, emphasizing precision over broad military engagement. Hale suggests that any intervention would likely target specific individuals or facilities, carefully avoiding widespread destruction. Critically, the analysis underscores that such an operation would be driven by protecting American lives and interests, with minimal intent to destabilize the Mexican government or broader society.
Topics explored in this article:
- Would it be possible and legal to use US drones against Mexican cartels?
- Are there any precedents?
- What is the probability of something like this happening in Mexico?
- How would you avoid, in a case like this in Mexico, what the United States often calls “collateral damage”—the deaths of uninvolved civilians?
- But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum enjoys widespread popular support for her insistence on Mexico’s sovereignty and on not allowing foreign interference…
*Retired from the DEA in 2010, Gary J. Hale is now a nonresident fellow in drug policy and Mexican studies at the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston. He was the intelligence coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz (1987-1990), where he led the arrest of Roberto Suárez Gómez, Bolivia’s “Cocaine King.” In 1989, he led DEA operations in Panama that led to the arrest of dictator Manuel Noriega. In the 1990s, he served in the U.S. embassies in Mexico City and Colombia, where he participated in the hunt for Pablo Escobar, leader of the Medellín Cartel.
