Following the “successful U.S. military operation” in Venezuela, President Donald Trump suggested American special forces could next target Mexican drug cartels, directly challenging Mexico’s sovereignty. During a Fox & Friends Weekend phone-in, Trump criticized Mexico’s leadership over the cartel crisis and revealed he had previously offered President Claudia Sheinbaum U.S. assistance to “take out the cartels,” an offer she refused.
What did Trump say about Mexico?
President Trump stated that “the cartels are running Mexico” and directly addressed President Claudia Sheinbaum. “I’ve asked her numerous times, would you like us to take out the cartels? ‘No, no, no, Mr. President,’” he recounted. Trump linked the flow of drugs across the border to “300,000 American fentanyl deaths,” a figure significantly higher than official estimates, and demanded action. His comments came while praising the “amazing” Delta Force raid in Venezuela that captured former President Nicolás Maduro with no U.S. casualties.
What was the Venezuelan “Absolute Resolve” operation?
The operation, dubbed “Absolute Resolve,” was a 2.5-hour mission involving approximately 150 aircraft. U.S. special forces extracted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a Caracas fortress amid precision airstrikes, sustaining only minor helicopter damage. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, detailed the joint force’s mastery of the operation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Senator Marco Rubio monitored the raid from a Mar-a-Lago situation room. The couple was transferred to the USS Iwo Jima en route to New York to face 2020 narcoterrorism indictments.
How has Mexico responded?
Mexico’s government swiftly reposted an official Foreign Ministry statement that condemned the Venezuela operation. The statement decried the “unilateral military actions” as breaches of the United Nations Charter. This demonstrates Mexico’s unwavering commitment to non-intervention, even while it collaborates with the United States on other security-related issues including intelligence sharing, training, and extraditions. President Sheinbaum has routinely turned down offers of U.S. troop help, striking a balance between strong national sovereignty preservation and security cooperation.
What is the “Trump Corollary”?
The term refers to a key element of Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy, which elevates Western Hemisphere threats as a top priority. It asserts a modernized “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, emphasizing U.S. dominance to deny rivals like China footholds and to combat drugs and migration viewed as direct homeland perils. The strategy ties U.S. aid to cooperation from regional governments and wields tools like tariffs and bans to enforce compliance. This doctrine provides the framework for potential future actions against cartels.
Could the US really intervene in Mexico?
While Trump’s comments fuel speculation about operations against cartels like the Sinaloa or CJNG, unilateral U.S. military action faces major hurdles:
Sovereignty: Mexico fiercely guards against foreign intervention, a principle central to its Venezuela response.
Cooperation Risks: Analysts warn unilateral strikes could unravel existing security pacts and intelligence-sharing agreements that enable Mexican-led raids.
Historical Precedent: Past U.S. military incursions into Mexico in the 1910s remain a sensitive historical backdrop.
The U.S. may pursue other leverage, such as designating cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Meanwhile, the administration highlights its domestic border success, with Pentagon deployments having secured “100% operational control” at the border early last year.
