Mexican cartels have begun avoiding direct attacks on Americans in Mexico because President Donald Trump has made clear that violent drug trafficking organizations now face the possibility of U.S. military action. Trump’s harder regional strategy raises the stakes for cartel violence against American citizens and businesses operating south of the border.
Trump’s intentions were driven home during his remarks at the Shield of the Americas summit in Doral, Fla., where he told regional leaders the United States won’t hesitate to use lethal military force against cartel operations if necessary, specifically stating that missiles and other military tools remain on the table if cartels continue threatening American lives and U.S. national security.
Trump encouraged regional leaders gathered at his Miami-area golf club to take military action against drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs that he says pose an “unacceptable threat” to the hemisphere’s national security.
“The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our militaries,” Trump said. “We have to use our military. You have to use your military.” Citing the U.S.-led coalition that confronted the Islamic State group in the Middle East, the Republican president said that “we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home.”