President Donald Trump is reportedly urging Mexico to permit the U.S. military to take a more active role in combating drug cartels.
During a heated 45-minute phone call on April 16 with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump pressed for direct military involvement against the cartels, a request Sheinbaum reportedly rejected.
Trump has prioritized fighting drug cartels as part of his broader strategy to secure the southern border and curb the influx of fentanyl into the United States.
He has vowed to “wage war on the cartels,” labeling them as foreign terrorist organizations.
Following his call with Sheinbaum, Trump remarked on Fox News that Mexico is fearful of these cartels and emphasized the need for U.S. assistance.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have a significant impact on U.S. communities, utilizing traffickers and social media to distribute drugs.
In response to Trump’s designation of these cartels as terrorist organizations, Sheinbaum has sought constitutional reforms to safeguard Mexico’s sovereignty, insisting that the Mexican people will not accept foreign interventions that threaten the nation’s integrity.
The Trump administration has explored extreme measures, including the possibility of drone strikes against cartels in Mexico.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, indicated that the administration would employ the full resources of the federal government to dismantle these organizations globally.
Apart from military cooperation, Trump is negotiating a trade deal with Mexico, having imposed a 25% tariff earlier this year to pressure the country into enhancing its efforts against fentanyl trafficking. Following the tariff, Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the border.
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