Four months ago, Donald Trump said he was “absolutely” prepared to launch United States military strikes against Mexican cartels if large quantities of drugs continued to flow into the U.S. from Mexico.
During the second Trump administration, could the United States military even carry out some kind of incursion into Mexican territory to combat powerful transnational criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)?
That possibility, according to reporting by Rolling Stone magazine, is being debated by members of Trump’s transition team. President Claudia Sheinbaum effectively dismissed the veracity of the magazine’s reporting at her Thursday morning press conference.
Rolling Stone reported on Wednesday that there is “a fresh debate” within Trump’s “government-in-waiting” over “whether and how thoroughly the president-elect should follow through on his campaign promise to attack or even invade Mexico as part of the ‘war’ he’s pledged to wage against powerful drug cartels.”
The magazine quoted an unnamed “senior Trump transition member” as saying: “How much should we invade Mexico? That is the question.”
For its report, Rolling Stone said it spoke with six unnamed Republicans who have each spoken to Trump about the possibility of using U.S. military force against Mexican cartels.
It said that some of its sources have briefed the former and future U.S. president on a range of ways that the U.S. military could be used against the criminal organizations that ship fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs across Mexico’s northern border. They include:
- Drone strikes or airstrikes on cartel infrastructure or drug labs.
- Sending in military trainers and “advisers” to Mexico.
- Deploying “kill teams” on Mexican soil. (Rolling Stone reported in May that “Trump wants to covertly deploy American assassination squads into Mexico soon after he’s sworn into office again.”)
- Waging cyber warfare against drug lords and their networks.
- Sending American special forces to Mexico to conduct a series of raids and abductions of notorious cartel figures. (Following the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July, the highest profile fugitive drug lord in Mexico is CJNG leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.)
The idea America should invade Mexico has become increasingly mainstream among Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers.
Story: https://t.co/pTi8tQLHqF pic.twitter.com/toeJnilIeL
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) November 27, 2024
Rolling Stone cited a “Trump adviser” as saying it is “unclear how far” Trump will go in his quest to combat Mexican cartels and stem the flow of narcotics across the United States’ southern border.
“If things don’t change, the president still believes it’s necessary to take some kind of military action against these killers,” the source said.
Rolling Stone said that “another source close to Trump” described “what they call a ‘soft invasion’ of Mexico, in which American special forces — not a large theater deployment — would be sent covertly to assassinate cartel leaders.”
“Indeed, this is a preliminary plan that Trump himself warmed to in private conversations this year,” the magazine said.
Rolling Stone said that Trump has “told confidants and some GOP lawmakers that he plans to tell the Mexican government they need to stem the flow of fentanyl to America — somehow, in a span of several months — or else he’ll send in the U.S. military.”
Earlier this week, the president-elect said he would impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican and Canadian exports to the United States on the first day of his second term as U.S. president due to what he described as the “long-simmering problem” of drugs and “illegal aliens” entering the U.S.
With his cabinet picks, Trump has emphasized his commitment to taking action against what he calls an “invasion” of the United States.
Rolling Stone reported that several of his cabinet picks, including his choices for secretary of defense and secretary of state, “have publicly supported the idea of potentially unleashing the U.S. military in Mexico.”
“So has the man Trump has tapped to be his national security adviser. So has the man Trump selected as his ‘border czar’ to lead his immigration crackdowns. So have various Trump allies in Congress and in the media,” the magazine added.
After three women and six children were murdered in an ambush in northern Mexico during his first term as president, Trump said that “if Mexico needs or requests help in cleaning out these [cartel] monsters, the United States stands ready, willing & able to get involved and do the job quickly and effectively.”
“… This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the Earth. We merely await a call from your great new president!” Trump said in a social media post in late 2019.
Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador declined Trump’s offer.
“We don’t need the intervention of a foreign government to attend to these cases. … We are a free and sovereign country; another government cannot intervene in our territory if there isn’t a cooperation agreement and, of course, without an express request on our part,” Lopez Obrador said at the time.
‘What is their basis?’
At her morning press conference on Thursday, Sheinbaum agreed with a reporter who likened Rolling Stone’s report to a far-fetched movie.
“What is their basis?” she asked.
Sheinbaum said that she bases her view on the United States’ intentions during the second Trump administration on the two conversations she has had with the president-elect, including one on Wednesday.
She said that Trump asked her on Wednesday how the United States can collaborate with Mexico on security issues.
“I told him that within the framework of our sovereignty there are schemes for collaboration,” Sheinbaum said.
“… We’re always going to defend our sovereignty. Mexico is a free, independent, sovereign country. And that’s above everything,” she said.
With reports from Rolling Stone
Yeah, it’s tragic how many citizens cartels murder – with American shipped guns, and Amerikkka doesn’t have room to talk about innocents being slaughtered when it happens there every day, thanks to millions of guns.
agreed, naive Gringos, egged on by Dumpsters stupidiyty seem to view the cartelistas as bumbling clowns when in fact, the clown is Trump. THe Cartels here are highly organized, trained combatants whom , ironically are heavily and sophistiatedly armed with in many cases US built and supplied weaponry including tanks, aircraft, rockets and top of the like rocket launchers as well as hqving an advantage that the Vietnamese had in that conflict….intimate knowledge of un inviting terrain and extensive infrustrusture. Cadet Bonespurs , however, has little undestanding of that nor do his “tin soldier” minions
donald trump is a stupid, racist POS.
With the money involved, the GOP continues to think a war strategy is a solution? Amazing!?! One of these politicians will learn war against drugs is a costly, bloody and temporary fix at best. They have tried since Nixon, but they are a thick headed bunch. Just because the cartels make it a available to hungry gringos, it’s the cartels problem? What is the root problem? what is it going to take before the strategy really looks at the why’s and addresses them as War has been a complete failure. Claudia, stand firm against Trumpy’s BS. He really needs to look at the importation of firepower that makes it across the border to the cartels. Look how successful the MX military has been against the cartels on their own turf. You think American advisors are going to be any more effective!?!!
agreed
Sort out your own country first,
Maybe a good idea if you all stop taking drugs, Open a fridge in the USA in any family home and you see it full of drugs,
Good luck you going to need it,
agreed
True, unregulated sales of automatic weapons at border Gun Shows is a HUGE problem. Sales of these ASSAULT WEAPONS should be PROHIBITED. AND EVENTUALLY WILL BE. HOWEVER, CARTELS and Criminals WILL find another source. In any event, US firepower and Intelligence technology would be an asset to Mexicos Cartel issue and I am sure Mexicos Sovereignty will not be violated.
While most things stated here are correct; America has a drug problem and Trump is a narcissistic, ego driven clown. What most opinions fail to comprehend is that Trump has filled his Cabinet, quite intentionally, with yes men who will have the power to bypass previous standards, policies, and laws. Hey has been cleared by the Supreme Court to commit international crimes and not be held accountable. He has the full support of the House and Senate. All the checks and balances that a diplomatic or rational leader would have to get past, are no longer in place. This administration has bigger goals than Mexico. They want to tear down NATO and reestablish American military might. Regardless of the odds of that happening, there is no other country outside of China and the BRICS nations, that will stand up to the American Military Complex. Those who keep mentioning Vietnam, 50+ years ago – really… how ignorant are you. American satellite imagery and technology can detect tunnels and Cartel strongholds with extreme accuracy. Bunker buster missiles proved incredibly effective at this in the middle east. Cartel weaponry, while vast, is at least a decade old, since the last Mexican administration to take American “support”. With American drones, cartel members would be dead before they hear it even coming. With Putin warming to Trump and Trump planning on cutting all support to Ukraine for Putin, Trump is saying that a unilateral attack on a neighboring country is acceptable. Without the US, Ukraine is DOA.
Regardless of how unlikely an invasion of Mexico is, you are sadly mistaking the power Trump will have and the purpose of his Cabinet choices. Trump and his cronies have repeatedly said this is a matter of national security. That is critically important. That wording changes all traditional policy. They will do whatever they feel like under the guise of national security. People discuss this as if reason and logic will prevail. Trump and his supporters, many who authored Project 2025, are not reasonable or logical. If you haven’t, read up on what is in Project 2025. Check the authors against who his Cabinet picks have been. They basically outline a new world order. Trump is the leader the world has fought decades to prevent. No one ever thought that the next Hitler type leader would come from the US. While I doubt that in 4 years he will be able to accomplish everything they discuss, and I hope he doesn’t do what he has said they will do. The fact that they are talking about it and willing to have it on record, should scare the Hell out of everyone. This man drove everything he’s touched into the ground. It’s his “way”. Yes he talks stupid and yes rational people think it’s just Trump’s crazy talk. You need to realize he has aligned every single check point in his favor. He will have the power to do exactly what he has said he would. The thing that is most troubling, is that the vast majority of Americans are too ignorant, racist, or both to read and learn about his plans before giving him this incredible amount of power. With any luck, the midterm elections can help level the playing field so he at least loses control of the House and/or Senate. The amount of power he will have in 50-some days is unprecedented and downright scary.
Yes, I agree totally. I’m an American who has lived in Mexico for over 17 years. My MX friends know how I feel about trump, but I wish there was some kind of anti trump button I could always wear out in public so no Mexicans associate me with this horrendous trump regime.
trump and most Americans probably do not realize that the cartels are deeply embedded all over the country in small towns on their trade routes. They don’t have conveniently located factories and labs around the border. Any sort of drone or other aggressive activity could also hurt or kill Mexican neighbors. Very bad idea, but that’s to be expected from trump. And the USA needs to tighten up the gun flow up there!
I can send you a button, like Pinche Trump, if reach out to me through FB messenger.
The US offers to take care of the Cartel problem and the Mexican government says no thanks, because of “sovereignty reasons” it’s highly suspicious, good luck dealing with a very intelligent leader , such as Mr Trump !!
Correct. Emotional outbursts and pointing to additional problems, doesn’t make the cartel problem go away.
I ask, why doesn’t Mexico want the cartels stopped? I’d love to hear from Mexicans regarding why.
Trump’s military/invasion plan for Mexico was posted on his campaign website. This is no secret. However, if the US actually acts on this threat I can’t imagine anything positive coming from military action. Why? Collateral damage. And should a large US military contingent get taken out by the cartels, then suddenly a major escalation is underway. Up to and including cruise missles launched into Mexico. All because of people wanting to get high.