The special operations component of Northern Command, officially responsible for the defense of America, was established in November 2013, long after 9/11, because, well, every other geographic fighting command had a special operations component. Navy SEALs and Norwegian special operations commandos set up camp in the Arctic Ocean as they meet the attack submarine USS Hampton during a practice war game in March 2024 | Photo: U.S. Navy. Then came Donald Trump, and the Arctic maps were rolled up and put away as the border and Mexico became the top priority. SOCNORTH carries out its Mexico operations through its two “X” directorates: J2X and J3X. A super-secret Special Operations Command Forward Mexico (SOCFWD) element is also located within the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City that interacts with their Mexican counterparts, as well as with the CIA and FBI reps in Mexico.