Trump is not playing anymore games.
President Donald Trump has made it clear that he is willing to take bold steps in dealing with the violent drug cartels terrorizing both Mexico and the United States. In a recent statement, Trump discussed the possibility of deploying U.S. troops into Mexico to combat these criminal organizations, especially if they are designated as foreign terrorist groups. “Could happen,” Trump said, adding, “Stranger things have happened,” as he considered military action to stop the cartels from flooding the U.S. with drugs and violence.
The Mexican cartels, including notorious groups like the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, are responsible for much of the fentanyl that enters the United States, a synthetic opioid linked to tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year. According to the CDC, fentanyl alone is responsible for over 70 percent of all opioid overdose deaths in America. These cartels operate with impunity, trafficking deadly drugs across the southern border, and have no regard for the safety of American citizens.
In an effort to confront this growing threat, Trump took significant steps during his presidency, designating international criminal organizations like MS-13 and the Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). This designation allowed for stronger U.S. action, including economic sanctions and enhanced intelligence operations to disrupt cartel activities. Trump was unflinching in his stance: “The drug cartels are waging war on America—and it’s time for America to wage war on the cartels.”
This tough stance aligns with actions taken by Republican leaders at the state level, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott has implemented aggressive policies to combat cartel violence, even offering a $5,000 bounty for information that leads to the capture of key members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a Venezuelan criminal group involved in cross-border trafficking.
Furthermore, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, is pushing for a specialized committee to tackle the growing cartel threat. Crenshaw’s proposed legislation would allow for military force against the most dangerous cartels, with the goal of dismantling their operations and stopping the flow of drugs and violence into the U.S.
President Trump has been vocal about his intent to eliminate the cartel threat once and for all. He has pledged that, if re-elected, the U.S. will take swift and decisive action to ensure that the drug kingpins responsible for the suffering of American families “will never sleep soundly again.” With Trump’s unwavering commitment to cracking down on these cartels, there is hope that the United States can finally put an end to the border violence and drug crisis that has plagued the nation for far too long.
