Trump Says He’s Open To Striking Inside Mexico To Stop Cartels And Deadly Drug Flow

President Donald Trump made headlines Monday after signaling he’s open to authorizing strikes inside Mexico to take out the cartel networks responsible for pumping fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he’s willing to do “whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” even if that includes targeting cartel compounds on Mexican soil.

“Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? That’s okay with me,” Trump said, bluntly acknowledging America’s escalating drug epidemic and Mexico’s inability or unwillingness to control cartel violence. “They’re killing our people. That’s like a war.”

Trump’s comments came as reporters pressed him about the administration’s ongoing “narco-terrorist” operations in the Caribbean Sea. Those strikes 11 in the last two months have already killed over 80 suspected cartel traffickers. According to administration officials, the effort has curbed 85% of maritime drug trafficking routes, a major blow to cartel operations at sea.

But the reality remains: most fentanyl enters the U.S. by land, hidden in passenger vehicles crossing the southern border. According to the Government Accountability Office, the bulk of fentanyl comes from Mexico or China and is driven through legal ports of entry something the Biden administration’s weak border policies made far easier before Trump’s return.

Trump didn’t mince words about Mexico’s deteriorating security conditions, saying he recently reviewed intelligence on cartel activity in Mexico City and saw “big problems over there.” While he suggested he’d “probably” seek congressional approval before hitting targets inside a foreign country, he made clear that Mexico already understands his position: “They know how I stand.”

What’s driving Trump’s escalated stance?

• Over 100,000 Americans die annually from drug overdoses, with fentanyl responsible for the majority.

• Cartel profits have surged, reaching an estimated $13 billion annually from human smuggling alone.

• U.S. border authorities seized more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl in 2023, enough to kill every American several times over.

Despite this crisis, Mexico’s leadership has made it clear they oppose any U.S. military involvement. In April, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum insisted Mexico “coordinates and collaborates, but does not subordinate itself.”

Meanwhile, reporting shows Trump officials are considering drone operations or troop deployments aimed at dismantling cartel infrastructure especially since six major Mexican cartels were designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations shortly after Trump’s second inauguration.

Democrats, predictably, are criticizing Trump for being too aggressive the same Democrats who spent years handwringing while fentanyl deaths shattered family after family. Even some Republicans have expressed concern about authorizing force abroad without Congress, though Trump emphasized he would consult lawmakers if a major foreign strike were on the table.

But one thing is undeniable: Americans are desperate for leadership that treats the fentanyl crisis as the national emergency it is. Families don’t care about diplomatic niceties they care about stopping the poison killing their children.

Trump’s message is unmistakable: the United States will no longer tolerate cartel warfare spilling across the border, and Mexico’s refusal to confront the problem won’t stop America from defending its people.

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