The U.S. Is Pressing Mexico to Allow U.S. Forces to Fight Cartels NYT | Top Stories Maria Abi-Habib, Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and Tyler Pager 15 January 2026 at 18:03 The United States is escalating pressure on the Mexican government to permit the U.S. military to target fentanyl labs, according to American officials. © Meridith Kohut for The New York TimesWhite powder, purportedly finished fentanyl, sitting on a table in a makeshift lab operated by the Sinaloa cartel.