Former DEA Agent Warns Against U.S. Drone Strikes Against Mexican Cartels: 'It Would Become Another Vietnam' [View all]

Cartels go around in civilian clothes, noted former agent Mike Vigil. Attacks would "kill many innocent Mexicans," he added

Demian Bio Demian Bio @bio_demian / Published Apr 11 2025, 12:44 PM EDT

A former DEA agent is warning the Trump administration against conducting drone strikes against Mexican cartels, as recent reports detail that officials continue to consider the possibility.

Speaking with Infobae Mexico, former Drug and Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent Mike Vigil noted that cartels "are not targets that can be identified as if they were soldiers because they don't have military bases."

Moreover, they don't wear military uniforms, dressing up in civilian clothes. "If drone strikes are launched, they will kill many innocent Mexicans that don't have anything to do with drug-trafficking," Vigil said. He added that U.S. tourists and people from all over the world could also fall victim to the attack: "It would be a disaster and become another Vietnam."

Vigil also issued a start warning about potential retaliation from the cartels: "They will react and could start killing U.S: citizens in Mexico, in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world."

According to the sources cited, the use of U.S. drones to target cartel operatives and infrastructure inside Mexico would represent a significant escalation in counter-narcotics strategy. A former official told the outlet that the goal of the flights is to "build a target deck" that could include cartel operatives, vehicles, warehouses, and other logistical nodes.

More:
https://www.latintimes.com/former-dea-agent-warns-against-us-drone-strikes-against-mexican-cartels-it-would-become-another-580520