President Donald Trump signaled in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity that military action against Mexican drug cartels could be imminent, potentially unfolding within the next several weeks. Trump framed the possibility as a continuation of aggressive anti-drug operations that recently preceded the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
[read more]
The president pointed to recent U.S. military actions at sea, noting that more than two dozen maritime strikes targeted drug-trafficking vessels operating in the Caribbean and Pacific near Venezuela and Colombia. According to Trump, those operations have dramatically reduced the flow of narcotics into the United States by water.
“We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water,” Trump said, adding that attention is now shifting to land-based operations. He argued that Mexican cartels have effectively taken control of large parts of Mexico and emphasized the devastating toll drug trafficking has taken on Americans, citing more than 100,000 overdose deaths each year.
Trump’s remarks build on earlier actions by his administration, including formally designating major drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order authorizing the classification of cartels and transnational gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, a move finalized by the State Department in February 2025.
Those designations cover major Mexican cartels such as Sinaloa and CJNG, as well as international gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, unlocking sweeping enforcement tools ranging from sanctions and asset seizures to potential military action.
While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned that unilateral U.S. action would violate her country’s sovereignty, Trump offered no retreat, leaving open the possibility of targeted land operations against cartel infrastructure in the near future.[/read]