Trump's order to use force against foreign cartels raises tensions with Mexico and Venezuela.
US President authorizes military operations abroad against criminal organizations, increasing pressure on Nicolás Maduro and Claudia Sheinbaum.
247 - US President Donald Trump's order for the military to act against drug cartels abroad has provoked a strong reaction in Mexico and Venezuela, escalating diplomatic tensions in Latin America. This information was revealed by... The New York Times e reported by the newspaper El País, which highlighted the regional impact of the measure.
The announcement was made by Trump himself, who stated: “We are playing hardball. We will be able to elaborate further soon.” According to the TimesThere are still no details on when the order was adopted or whether the Pentagon has received instructions for specific operations, although military officials are developing plans in that regard.
Pressure on Mexico
The decision forced Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to speak out quickly. "The United States will not come to Mexico with troops; there will be no invasion," she stated in her morning press conference. Sheinbaum has reiterated this position since February, when Washington classified six Mexican cartels—Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación, Carteles Unidos, Noroeste, Golfo, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana—and two international gangs, Tren de Aragua and Mara Salvatrucha, as terrorist organizations.
The Mexican government, pressured by voices from the Republican Party, has sought to highlight its results in the fight against drug trafficking. In July, Sheinbaum stated that the flow of fentanyl across the northern border had fallen by 50% and that 29 crime bosses were handed over to the U.S. in February.
Venezuela is a target for Washington.
In Venezuela, the measure was received as an act of hostility. Since his first presidency, Trump has accused Nicolás Maduro of links to organized crime, including alleged collaboration with the Cartel de los Soles and the Tren de Aragua. Now, the reward for Maduro's capture has been increased from $15 million to $50 million.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López reacted by saying that "these desperate, Hollywood-style offers represent an act of interference" and declared "permanent alert to deter and neutralize any action against peace and the safeguarding of the territory."
Chavismo claims it broke with the DEA in 2005 because it considered it an instrument of foreign interference, but asserts it has intensified anti-drug operations, including the destruction of laboratories and the downing of 312 drug traffickers' aircraft since 2012.
Political and historical context
Trump's offensive comes amid signs of economic slowdown in the US and pressure for new revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The narrative of "no compromises" against cartels is an old one in the more radical wing of the Republican Party and has gained strength since 2023, when other conservative leaders, such as Ron DeSantis, also promised military interventions in foreign territory.
The history of accusations against Maduro dates back to the government of Hugo Chávez, when the US already pointed to links with the FARC and trafficking networks. More recently, former high-ranking Chavista officials such as Hugo "El Pollo" Carvajal were extradited and convicted of drug trafficking and narcoterrorism, reinforcing Washington's narrative.
The escalation puts the current U.S. government on a collision course with two strategic neighbors and opens a new chapter of tension in continental politics.
