Inside the White House conference room, President Palmer rubbed his forehead in frustration. The situation was getting complicated now that Mexico was involved. In the past, Mexico had essentially been America's obedient little brother, providing a steady stream of cheap labor that fueled U.S. growth.
But in the past two years, things had changed. The U.S. was in the midst of an economic crisis. Jobs were scarce, and the issue of illegal immigration had become more serious. Border Patrol operations targeting Mexican immigrants were now routine, yet the problem persisted.
On top of that, Mexico was now flooded with drugs. After Colombia's decline, impoverished and backward Mexico had suddenly risen to become the world's largest drug factory. By the time the U.S. realized what was happening, it was already too late. Five major drug cartels had established strongholds across Mexico, and the Mexican government was powerless to eliminate them.
Currently, the U.S. government was urging Mexico to crack down on drugs and immigration, but the Mexican authorities weren't cooperating. Tensions between the two countries were mounting. And now, of all times, a terrorist bombing had taken place, with all evidence pointing toward Mexico's most powerful drug syndicate—the Sanchez Cartel.
"Proceed with caution. Avoid triggering a diplomatic incident if possible."
That was the message Jack Bauer relayed from the White House. With that directive in mind, Owen knew exactly how to proceed.
"Ten minutes. Briefing in the conference room."
Owen summoned the Omega team to lay out the plan for their mission into Mexico. Once everyone was seated, Owen began, "The White House has approved our mission in Mexico. However, we're required to work in coordination with the Mexican police."
Seeing no objections, Owen nodded to Bubblehead. "Becky, give us an overview of the situation in Mexico."
Bubblehead responded with a nod and activated her laser pointer. The projector displayed the mission briefing, and her calm, gentle voice filled the room.
"According to available data, Mexico has now overtaken Colombia as the world's largest supplier of narcotics. Mexican drug cartels generate more than $40 billion in revenue annually, with at least 100,000 people involved in the trade. The drug network is deeply entrenched and incredibly complex, with suspected ties between the cartels and elements within the Mexican government and police."
"Currently, the White House is in talks with the Mexican government about cracking down on drug trafficking. Some cabinet members have proposed officially designating the Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. In the U.S. alone, over 35 million people use drugs every year, and more than half of those narcotics originate in Mexico."
As Bubblehead spoke, the projector displayed shifting charts—photos of drug production, transportation routes, and cartel operations involving both Mexican and American criminals. Many of the images were classified and provided by the FBI and DEA, not something you'd find in a news report.
Everyone knew Mexico had a drug problem, but seeing the raw numbers and images laid out like this was still shocking. The fact that over half of the drugs in the U.S. came from their neighboring country was staggering—but the data didn't lie. The visuals of clandestine airstrips, armed convoys, and mutilated bodies painted a chilling picture.
"Mexico currently has six major drug cartels, employing over 100,000 operatives. Using their massive profits, they've acquired more than 100,000 military-grade assault rifles from the U.S., along with RPGs, heavy sniper rifles, armor-piercing rounds, and some of the most advanced tactical communications gear available. They've even installed surveillance systems to monitor local police, military, and prosecutors. In essence, the Mexican cartels are like small warlords. Their firepower far exceeds that of local military forces and rivals the capabilities of some nations' special operations units."
"Whoa..."
Frederick let out a whistle. Owen picked up from there.
"Our target is the largest of the six—The Sanchez Cartel. All evidence points to their involvement in the recent terrorist infiltration. According to an unconfirmed DEA source, the man who helped them may be Mario Sanchez, son of cartel boss Laita Sanchez, who leads the entire organization."
Everyone could feel the pressure. The cartels' strength was undeniable, and now they were up against the most powerful one, on its home turf.
"Boss, just tell us the plan."
Bayev spoke up bluntly. From the intel, this mission looked like a suicide run, but Omega wasn't made up of rookies. They knew better than to back down from tough odds.
Owen looked at each of them—none showed fear. Ghost and Swagg had both been through hell before. Frederick even looked a little excited.
"We're not going in under a counterterrorism flag. We'll be posing as a DEA Special Operations Team. The DEA will assign one of their agents to assist us. But once we're in Mexico, we won't have operational freedom. Every move must be cleared through local police. That's a hard line set by the Mexican government..."
The team members frowned. That meant minimal autonomy. Not only would the DEA keep tabs on them, but the Mexican authorities would restrict their actions as well. With that much red tape, their mission could easily end in failure.
FBI and DEA special units had operated in Mexico many times, so Omega using this cover wasn't unusual. But there was no way they'd tell the Mexican authorities their real objective. They were there to capture the son of Mexico's most powerful drug lord. If the local authorities got wind of that, Sanchez's people would find out before they even arrived—and it wouldn't be surprising if their plane got blown out of the sky.
"And that's not even the worst of it. Let me add one more thing..."
Bubblehead's voice returned. The team groaned collectively.
"Come on..."
With a wry smile, Bubblehead continued, "In addition to their main cartel force, the Sanchez Cartel maintains a dedicated special operations unit. It's led by Laita Sanchez's brother, Dorek Sanchez."
"They're armed with RPGs, AK-47s, HK416s, Skorpion SMGs, and more. The unit's personnel are mostly elite veterans from militaries and police forces around the world. Many of them are battle-hardened special forces operators. Dorek Sanchez himself is a former Green Beret. Judging by their combat record, Mexico's anti-narcotics police aren't even close to being a match for them. So… be careful."
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