Internal Report Shows the Military Always Wanted to Join the Drug War

A report from 2015 by the Institute for Defense Analyses, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, reveals that the Pentagon had been seeking ways to increase its involvement in the war on drugs long before President Trump's administration began using military action against drug traffickers. Based on interviews with incarcerated drug traffickers, the report suggests more direct military action as a means to disrupt transnational organized crime. The findings highlight the military’s interest in countering drug networks and align with recent U.S. actions such as deploying warships and conducting strikes in international waters near Venezuela. However, the report also emphasizes that fighting corruption and arresting drug lords would be most effective, contrary to Trump's militaristic approach.

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