The Trump administration is considering launching drone strikes against cartels in Mexico in an effort to stem the flow of fentanyl and other drugs through the southern border, NBC News reported on Tuesday.
The report, which cited multiple former and current US officials, said the discussions were still in the early stages, but the administration has taken steps toward taking military action against cartels, including designating them as “terrorist organizations” and stepping up CIA drone flights over Mexico.
The report said that the Trump administration would prefer to launch drone strikes against cartels in cooperation with the Mexican government but is not ruling out launching unilateral military action, which would significantly rupture US-Mexico relations.
In response to the report, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected the idea of any unilateral US action. “We reject any form of intervention or interference. That’s been very clear, Mexico coordinates and collaborates, but does not subordinate itself. There is no interference, nor will there be,” Sheinbaum said.
The Mexican leader added, “While this idea hasn’t been formally proposed, we’ve made it clear that it wouldn’t address the root of the issue. What truly works is ongoing attention to root causes, arrests driven by intelligence and investigation, coordination, and zero tolerance for impunity. We categorically reject any such actions, and we don’t believe they will happen. There is a strong, ongoing dialogue on security and many other matters.”
The Wall Street Journal reported in February that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had threatened Mexican military officials that the US could take unilateral military action in Mexico. The report said Hegseth threatened action “if Mexico didn’t deal with the collusion between the country’s government and drug cartels.”
While the Trump administration wants to reduce the flow of fentanyl, opponents of turning the drug war into a hot war have warned it’s unlikely to have that effect. Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, pointed out in a post on X that if the demand for fentanyl still exists in the US, then cartels or other criminal organizations would still be willing to manufacture the drug and smuggle it across the US border.
“If demand for the drug is still high, the cartels—or independent criminal syndicates—will have a financial incentive to continue manufacturing, even if it comes at the risk of death (these guys are already risking death by being in a cartel). There is a lot of money to be made,” DePetris said.
Military action against the cartels also comes with a risk of bringing a hot war to US territory since the organizations are known to have a presence inside the US and also possess advanced weapons that could even be fired across the US-Mexico border.
Only 3.5 years to go with this lunatic and his nazi brown-nosing freaks
I don't think he will last that long. Not because someone is going to dethrone him – most are begging, crawling and making deals instead – but he may suffer a health attack when his hubris and "greatness" will simply explode in his own body.
Hence, you feel a sense of urgency in him and those around him and they are not shy about it. Speed!!! Like evil rotten thieves in the night literally trying to do all the harm they can before the break of day comes and gets em!
If I was a betting man, and if the over/under bet on his term was one year, I’d take the under.
Feels like it.
Yes! Attack Mexico, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, China, Panama, Yemen and anybody else fat cowards can point a pissed-off finger at.
I can think of no quicker way to bring down the United States of Evil,
Trump needs to be careful…! Mexico is not 4 to 6000 miles away like Iran, north Korea, China or Russia…! They're next door…!
Trump needs to be careful…! Mexico is not 4 to 6000 miles away like Iran, north Korea, China or Russia…! They're next door…!
Once people see some "success" in killing people they can no longer stop. they find more and more targets to kill.
will this be the same as Palestine, every woman, child, hospital church school is Hamas?
Instead every Mexican civilian and building is harboring cartels—or independent criminal syndicates?
I don't think trump realizes how vulnerable the US is to a cartel military strike, or just doesn't care.
The military asymmetry is to the cartels’ advantage. They have enough operators in the United States to engage in “tit for tat” body count operations. Ten cartel members get killed in a drone strike, 24 hours later ten Americans turn up with their throats cut.
Also US civilian hostages in Mexico.
May want to reschedule, reroute your vacation.
…”And the rockets red glare! The bombs bursting in air! Gave proof through the night that the drug cartels were still there!”….
Doing this at four in the a.m. without any coke!….
Taco Bell is open… Right?!…. ;-/
Drones won't stop demand. Legalization of all drugs is the only thing that makes sense.
Bad Idea!!!!!! It has been tried and it was a miserable failure.
This what happens when all drugs are legal.
Vancouver is where drug users come to die!!!
”Demand for the drug is still high”?…!!! ;-}
Beware of Morons!….. According to latest MSM reports!…
Special alert issued for the White House!….
Woodrow Wison should have done the job in 1916 – 1917. The only way is to establish a No Transgression Zone many miles into Mexico policed by America's military. In fact, make it a free fire zone against the cartels and smugglers.
Punitive Expedition in Mexico, 1916-1917
The Punitive Expedition into Mexico that the United States Government undertook in 1916 against Mexican Revolutionary leader Pancho Villa threatened to bring the United States and Mexico into direct conflict with one another. However, careful diplomatic maneuvering by Mexican President Venustiano Carranza and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson successfully resolved the crisis.
https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwi/108653.htm
The only way to defeat the cartels and smugglers is to legalize drugs.
The main result of your proposed “only way” would be dead Americans.
https://youtu.be/ggfZwBdaiYk
https://youtu.be/Qwcp2mcOH0Y
Critical_Thinker lives.