US President Donald Trump has hinted at a possible major change in US anti-drug operations. He has announced that after a series of maritime attacks in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the US will begin conducting ground attacks on drug cartels, particularly in Mexico.
Speaking in an interview with US media, Trump said, “We have eliminated 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, and now we will begin a land attack against the cartels.”
He also stated bluntly that “the cartels are running Mexico”, but did not provide any further operational details about the planned attacks.
Questions will arise about international law
Trump’s comments come after the US military suddenly captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, the result of months of increasing US military and economic pressure on the leftist leader. The President’s administration has justified its actions as part of an aggressive campaign against drug trafficking and cartel networks in the Western Hemisphere.
Since September 2025, the US military has conducted more than 100 strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats in international waters in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, in what officials describe as major counter-narcotics operations. However, Trump’s suggestion to attack the cartels on Mexican soil would be a major change, raising questions about sovereignty and international law.
How will the ground operation take place?
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected foreign military intervention, saying “it will not happen” and insisting on Mexico’s right to operate within its own territory. The leftist interim government in Caracas has also condemned the US attacks as a threat to regional stability, highlighting rising diplomatic tensions across the Americas.
Details regarding the timing, scope and authorization of any ground operation remain unclear, but Trump’s comments mark a major shift from traditional US counter-narcotics policy and signal a more aggressive regional stance.
In September, Mexico and the US agreed to step up cooperation to fight criminal organizations involved in the international drug trade, a key demand of President Donald Trump for the Latin American country.
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