US President Donald Trump has announced plans to launch land strikes against Mexican drug cartels, describing the narcoterrorists as a threat to both Mexico and the United States.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said: “We are gonna start now hitting land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico; it’s very sad to watch and see what’s happened to that country.”
The announcement comes days after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a move Trump has leveraged to strengthen US influence in the region.
Trump has previously suggested that other countries, including Greenland, Cuba, and Colombia, could be next targets for US operations, prompting condemnation from NATO allies and world leaders such as UK’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
Asked about limits on his foreign policy powers, Trump told The New York Times: “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
The president blamed Central American drug traffickers for the deaths of 250,000 to 300,000 Americans each year, citing cartel influence and fentanyl trafficking. “It’s horrible, it’s devastated families. You lose a child or a parent. We’ve done a really good job, we’re knocking it down,” he said.
Trump has long pressured Mexico to act against cartels, warning that US intervention might be necessary. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed that Trump raised the possibility of military action in talks with her, but she said she rejected the idea.
Following the capture of Maduro, Trump also announced a deal with Venezuela to secure 30 to 50 million barrels of oil, potentially worth up to $2 billion. The US president said he will control the proceeds from the sale to ensure they benefit both the United States and Venezuela, assigning Energy Secretary Chris Wright to manage the plan.
