'Catastrophic threat': Conservative group's roadmap shows how Trump can use military to thwart cartels

FIRST ON FOX: A top conservative group is offering a roadmap as to how President Donald Trump can effectively deploy the military to secure the southern border, arguing that there is a "substantial historic precedent" for such a use.

"A broad and diverse set of options and legal authorities are available to the second Trump Administration for using the resources and capacities of the U.S. military to ensure the integrity of the border with Mexico," the Heritage Foundation report, obtained first by Fox News Digital, says. "Additionally, there is substantial historical precedent for an active U.S. military role in border security and managing migration crises."

The report, "How the President Can Use the U.S. Military to Confront the Catastrophic Threat at the Border with Mexico," argues that an "unchecked growth" of Mexican cartels, as well as illegal immigration and narcotics have "deepended and accelerated," posing a destabilizing threat to the U.S.

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This split shows the southern border wall and troops at the border. (Getty Images)

Simultaneously, it argues that there has been a "rapid deterioration" in U.S.-Mexico security cooperation and Mexico’s own anti-cartel operations.

It is a view shared by the new Trump administration. Trump issued an executive order on day one to deploy the military to the border as part of a slew of broader efforts to secure the southern border and crack down on illegal immigration.

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Authors Robert Greenway, Andres Martinez-Fernandez and Wilson Beaver argue for a number of follow-up measures to confront the threat of the cartels and what they see as a "reluctant" Mexican government.

"The first steps on this front should consist of measures, such as substantial bolstering of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border security capacities, increasing restrictions on formal and informal border crossings, ramping up U.S. law enforcement efforts, targeting illicit financial flows tied to the cartels, and sanctioning corrupt Mexican officials," they wrote.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, for a trip to North Carolina and California. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The report stressed the need for appropriate funding from Congress and planning from agencies in order to prevent impacting other missions. It highlighted the potential for military equipment for immigration purposes, including deportation.

"When it comes to large-scale illegal-alien detention and deportation, some of the underused but most impactful resources include U.S. military transport vehicles and facilities around the world which could support detention and repatriation of illegal aliens, including to higher-risk and extra-hemispheric countries of origin," it says.

As for direct military action against cartels, the authors say that it should be a "last resort," with joint military action with Mexican coordination being the ideal condition.

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"However, in the appropriate context, unilateral U.S. military action may be employed to disrupt cartel activity and prompt cooperation from a resistant Mexican government," it says.

It argues that Mexico is unlikely to change its stance with the election of President Claudia Sheinbaum, even in response to what the authors argue is a dramatically escalating threat from the cartels.

"Today, drug cartels are the fifth-largest employer in Mexico, with between 160,000 and 185,000 members," they wrote. "Cartels are also equipped with military-level weaponry, including anti-aircraft weapons and armored vehicles, while increasingly employing advanced technologies, such as drones and signal jamming systems."

The report also touts other uses for the military, including aiding border wall construction, helping supplement an overstretched Border Patrol, and the use of intelligence and surveillance methods to detect cross-border activity, as well as migrant detention at U.S. military facilities.

People are seen boarding a U.S. military aircraft. The White House announced on Friday that "deportation flights have begun" in the U.S. (White House)

The report comes after a flurry of activity from the administration, including the deployment of the military to the border, to tackle the border threat and limit illegal immigration.

Troops began arriving in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego on Thursday evening, providing 1,000 U.S. Army personnel and 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton in California.

"This represents a 60% increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn-in Monday," then-acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement late Wednesday.

There are already 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border. 

Fox News’ Christina Shaw contributed to this report.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter.