Trump means business in his 2nd term and the world is witnessing it.
Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a stern warning to Mexican officials, signaling that the United States military might take “unilateral action” against Mexico’s dangerous drug cartels unless there is a significant change in how they combat the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration. This bold statement came during a January 31st call between Hegseth and top Mexican military leaders, where the Pentagon chief stressed the importance of addressing the cartel violence and the collusion that allegedly exists between Mexico’s government and these criminal organizations.
Mexican officials on the call were reportedly taken aback and upset by Hegseth’s comments. They were left with the belief that he was suggesting the possibility of military strikes south of the border to combat the ongoing issues. The Pentagon’s readout of the conversation, however, focused on Hegseth’s clear message that protecting American citizens and securing the southern border remain his top priorities. He emphasized that Mexico’s military must continue to target and disrupt cartel operations, while Mexico also needs to ramp up efforts to curb illegal immigration into the United States.
This wasn’t the first time that Hegseth has hinted at military action. In a previous Fox News interview, he made it clear that “all options would be on the table” when it comes to dealing with Mexican cartels, especially after the Trump administration designated these criminal groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Hegseth also emphasized that any final decision regarding military action would ultimately be up to the President.
Meanwhile, former President Trump recently made headlines by threatening to impose a 25% tariff on imports from both Mexico and Canada if they fail to tackle drug smuggling more aggressively. He expressed his frustration on Truth Social, saying that drugs continue to flood into the U.S. at “unacceptable levels.” On the same day as this tariff threat, Mexico made a significant move by transferring 29 cartel members to the U.S., including the suspect believed to be responsible for killing a DEA agent.
These developments underscore the increasing frustration with Mexico’s failure to adequately address the crisis at hand. The question remains: will the U.S. take further steps to hold Mexico accountable for the border chaos and the ongoing drug epidemic? With pressure mounting from both sides of the aisle, it seems inevitable that the situation will soon reach a breaking point.