“US President Donald Trump said that the US military can launch ground strikes against drug cartel facilities anywhere in the world, including the territory of Mexico, Central and South America.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Donald Trump. Photo: Getty Images Source: Trump’s interview with the publication New York Post
Trump’s direct speech: “We’re going to hit the cartels. We know their routes. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know everything about them.”
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Details: To the journalist’s clarifying question whether these strikes could be carried out “anywhere”, in particular on the territory of Mexico, Venezuela or Colombia, the American president answered in the affirmative: “Anywhere”.
Trump also boasted of “successes on the water”, saying that thanks to military strikes on ships, 97% of drugs transported by sea were seized. He emphasized that now he wants to see the same success “on land”.
According to the US Department of Justice, most of the foreign-made illegal drugs available in the United States are smuggled into the country via the border with Mexico and, to a much lesser extent, Canada.
Currently, the Trump administration is putting pressure on the Mexican government, demanding permission for US troops to enter the country to allegedly fight drug trafficking.
In early January, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed suggestions that Trump might launch military strikes against cartels in her country.
Scheinbaum’s direct speech: “I don’t believe in an invasion. I don’t even think they take it very seriously. Several times he (Trump – ed.) has insisted that the American army be allowed to enter Mexico. We have refused very firmly, firstly, because we are defending our sovereignty, and secondly, because it is not necessary.”
What preceded:
- In August 2025, Trump secretly signed an executive order authorizing direct military operations against a number of Latin American drug cartels that his administration classifies as foreign terrorist organizations. This provided a legal basis for the use of US military force outside of a country without declaring war on the countries concerned.
- After that, the US Navy began shooting boats in the Caribbean, killing dozens of people. The administration claimed that the destroyed vessels were transporting drugs, while providing no evidence to support these claims.
- Already in January 2026, the United States invaded the territory of Venezuela, as a result of which the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro was captured.