In a significant escalation of his administration's aggressive foreign policy, President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will soon commence military strikes against drug cartels on land, strongly implying that Mexico could be the next target.
From Sea to Land: A New Front in the 'Armed Conflict'
Speaking in an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity on Thursday, the president claimed his recent actions had already achieved dramatic results. Trump asserted that deadly air strikes off the coast of Venezuela had succeeded in stopping "97 percent" of narcotics entering the US by water. This campaign culminated last weekend in a military raid that removed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro from power.
"We've knocked out 97 per cent of the drugs coming in by water and we are now going to start hitting land with regard to the cartels," Trump told Hannity, signalling a bold new phase in what he has previously described as an "armed conflict" with trafficking organisations.
'Cartels Are Running Mexico'
The president offered scant operational details, failing to specify precise timings or locations for the proposed land strikes. However, he pointed a clear finger at America's southern neighbour. "The cartels are running Mexico," Trump claimed. "It's very sad to watch and see what's happened to that country but the cartels are running it and they're killing 250-300,000 people in our country every single year, the drugs. It's horrible."
These remarks are certain to inflame tensions with Mexico's government. President Claudia Sheinbaum has already been a vocal critic of Trump's intervention in Venezuela. At the time of Maduro's capture, she stated, "Mexico's position against any form of intervention is firm, clear, and historic." She added that intervention never brings democracy or lasting stability, and categorically rejected interference in other nations' internal affairs.
International Law and 'My Own Morality'
The president's latest threats come amidst growing international concern over his administration's approach to global norms. In a separate, wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, Trump was asked what limits existed on his power following the Venezuela operation. "Yeah, there is one thing," he replied. "My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me." He explicitly stated, "I don't need international law," while also claiming he was "not looking to hurt people."
This stance has drawn sharp condemnation from international bodies. Earlier this week, a group of more than a dozen United Nations experts issued a statement denouncing the assault on Venezuela and the ousting of Maduro as "gunboat diplomacy." They warned the actions represented a "grave, manifest and deliberate violation of the most fundamental principles of international law" and risked destabilising the entire region.
The UN statement cautioned that this should not be viewed as an isolated incident, but rather as part of a "broader and deeply troubling pattern of systematic disregard for peace, international law and multilateral institutions." With plans to target cartels reportedly in development since November, the prospect of US land strikes promises to further test these strained international relationships.
