The war on drugs, sometimes referred to in the 21st century as the war on cartels in contexts of military intervention and counterterrorism, is a global anti-narcotics campaign led by the United State
A U.S. government PSA from the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration with a photo image of two marijuana cigarettes and a "Just Say No" slogan
Advertising sign from Bayer for use in US drug stores, dating from before the federal prohibition of heroin by the Anti-Heroin Act of 1924.
Anslinger (center) discussing cannabis control with Canadian narcotics chief Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Stephen B. Gibbons (1938)
"For the relief of severe pain": WWII US Army first aid manual illustrating self-injection of morphine using a syrette.
Operation Southern Spear is a United States military and surveillance campaign launched in 2025 by the administration of US president Donald Trump with the declared aims of "detecting, disrupting, and
War on drugs
…tools traditionally reserved for enemy combatants, such as drone strikes, offensive cyber warfare, and extraterritorial special operations, including Operation Southern Spear, under the premise that cartels are no longer simple criminal groups to be arrested, but rather paramilitary structures that erode state sovereignty…
MV-22B Ospreys with VMM-263, 22nd MEU, aboard the USS Iwo Jima (2025)
Two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers fly in formation (2025)
F-35A Lightning IIs at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station (2026)