Trump warns US may carry out ground attacks on drug cartels worldwide

According to Trump, Washington has already successfully blocked up to 97% of drug trafficking by sea by striking suspected vessels. Now, he emphasized, the US intends to achieve a similar effect on land, relying on intelligence about cartel routes and logistics.

The US president said that Washington knows everything about the routes and bases of drug cartels and that, if necessary, strikes could be carried out anywhere, from Mexico to Colombia and Venezuela.

As is known, the administration has previously carried out military operations against vessels suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, operations that resulted in the deaths of suspects and drew international criticism.

The idea of expanding operations onto land follows recent US actions in Venezuela, where American forces conducted an operation to detain President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on accusations of facilitating drug trafficking.

At the same time, the proposal to potentially carry out strikes on Mexican territory has faced criticism from Mexico’s leadership, which has emphasized the country’s sovereignty and pointed to the need to combat organized crime independently.

Political analysts note that such statements could increase diplomatic tensions in the region, where the fight against drug trafficking traditionally requires coordination and respect for national sovereignty.

As is known, Donald Trump’s policy is aimed at a large-scale crackdown on drug cartels - for this purpose, he deployed thousands of sailors to Latin America and the Caribbean.

On September 2 last year, the US government announced that American forces had struck a vessel suspected of carrying illegal drugs in international waters of the southern Caribbean Sea. According to US authorities, 11 people were killed in the attack.

Earlier, reports also emerged that the United States struck a drug trafficker’s vessel in the Pacific Ocean.