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In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Donald Trump threatened that the U.S. was “going to start hitting land” in order to eliminate the drug cartels that, according to Trump, are running Mexico. Trump continued to claim that these Mexican drug cartels are somehow responsible for 250,00 to 300,000 American deaths each year. It seems Trump has given up on trying to keep Mexican drugs out of the US, so now he's going to go into Mexico to stop the influx himself.
Bold words or real threats?
Two months ago, experts would have said these comments were more empty threats from Donald Trump, who has threatened military action against dozens of countries without following through. Unfortunately, the game has changed after the U.S.'s brash actions in Venezuela proved that Trump is more than willing to conduct violent military operations against foreign nations. Trump has made the war on Mexican drugs a focus of his politics since his initial election in 2016, where he promised a border wall between the neighbouring nations.
The comments show a potentially threatening parallel with Trump's escalation in Venezuela. Just three weeks before the U.S. military captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, Trump said in an interview with Politico that the US would be hitting Venezuela on land very soon, and it did. With Trump being caught once revealing discreet military plans in a TV interview, it's certainly possible his comments on Mexico are another example. Trump has previously threatened ground attacks on Mexico, but this marks a potential confirmation that the U.S. will indeed be conducting military action in Mexico very soon.
Donald Trump also mentioned Mexico in the Politico interview that revealed his plans for Venezuela. In the interview, Trump explained that the U.S. needed to do something about Mexico very soon. He added that the U.S. would love if Mexico took action against these alleged cartels, but the nation was refusing to, and that the U.S. may have to step in. Trump said he believed it was unfortunate that the cartels were so strong in Mexico, and then reaffirmed the opinion with Hannity more than a month later, claiming he was very saddened about the impact the cartels have on Mexico.
Since Trump's successful operation in Venezuela, and the subsequent successful operation to take control of its oil, imports and exports, Trump has claimed the U.S. will have a larger role in the Western Hemisphere. Since the operation in Venezuela, Trump has threatened military action in Colombia, predicted the collapse of Cuba and pushed for the U.S. acquisition of Greenland (again). Whether this is an example of Trump becoming power hungry, or whether he just realized that nobody will stop him if he actually does the things he says he will, Trump has been unleashed on Central America.
Mexican President claims attack will be avoided
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke at a press conference and said she had ruled out a U.S. military intervention to combat drug cartels, following what she described as a “good conversation” with President Donald Trump on security and drug trafficking. Earlier that day, she made a post on X claiming that the two leaders discussed security with respect for Mexico's sovereignty, curbing drug trafficking, as well as trade and investment. Sheinbaum also added that fentanyl trafficking from Mexico to the United States had fallen by about 50 per cent over the past year. While the details of the conversation are unknown, Trump reportedly quizzed Sheinbaum on her views on Cuba, Venezuela, and the U.S.'s actions in the countries. It's certain that Mexico and Sheinbaum will have to continue the balancing act of reaffirming their national security and pleasing Donald Trump – something that too many world leaders have now experienced.
