The White House has given the Pentagon permission to use military force against Latin American drug cartels. But this order could also break the sovereignty of Mexico, a close U.S. ally.
According to Rolling Stone, people working with the Trump administration said President Trump is serious about attacking Mexico unless the country gives him “what he wants.” Officials only asked that the plan not be called an “invasion.”
“This is not a negotiating tactic,” one senior administration official told the magazine. “It’s not Art of the Deal. The president has been clear that a strike is coming unless we see some big, major changes.”
Trump and Republican leaders have supported the idea of invading Mexico for years, pointing to the rise of fentanyl and drug trafficking. In January, Trump even told reporters that sending U.S. special forces across the border “could happen.”
Mexico, however, has resisted. Last week, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected the Trump administration’s request to send troops into her country. But just days later, Mexico extradited 26 suspected cartel members—some of them top leaders—to the United States.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the move as “historic efforts to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations.”
Experts who monitor cartels told Rolling Stone that Mexico’s cooperation was meant to “stave off” U.S. military action and to protect ongoing trade talks.
So far, Mexico has not reached a final trade deal with the Trump administration. Late last month, Trump and Sheinbaum agreed to delay a possible 30 percent tariff for another 90 days. But it’s still unclear how long it will take for the two nations to strike a full agreement.
