Following statements by US President Donald Trump regarding a possible ground intervention to combat Mexican cartels, former DEA Director of International Operations Mike Vigil warned that such a military action would be ineffective and highly risky.
In an interview with Infobae Mexico, the former agent pointed out that the Trump administration could not justify an invasion, as its priority remains migration and economic pressure on Latin America. He also warned that a military operation could break international alliances and have the opposite effect to that intended.
Vigil explained that over the past two decades, military strategies implemented in Mexico have only multiplied criminal organizations and increased violence.
“In the last twenty years, military action has fragmented the cartels, allowing them to grow even larger, and has not stopped the flow of drugs into the United States. This fragmentation has created more cartels, even more violent ones,” the former agent warned.
The specialist pointed out that an intervention would face enormous obstacles, as the cartels are deeply infiltrated in society, know the terrain, and are better armed thanks to arms trafficking from the United States.
What would be the risks of a military intervention in Mexico?
According to Vigil, the cartels operate with high-powered weapons, grenades, and explosive drones, while U.S. special operations units are typically made up of only a dozen soldiers.
“They want to use special operations forces… but when you take into account the Sinaloa Cartel or the Jalisco Cartel, they’re not going to achieve a strategic victory. The risks are significant for very little to gain,” he emphasized.
The former agent recalled the 2019 Culiacánazo, when an operation to arrest Ovidio Guzmán López, son of “El Chapo,” ended in a retreat of federal forces after roadblocks and attacks by the Sinaloa Cartel, an example of the firepower of these organizations.
Vigil pointed out that there are more than 80,000 registered gun dealers in the United States, which has facilitated the trafficking of weapons to Mexico and other countries. According to his estimates, U.S.-made weapons are involved in 24% of homicides worldwide.
Therefore, the former agent believes that a military intervention would not solve the problem, and that the real fight should focus on reducing the demand for drugs in the United States and curbing arms trafficking.
“The only way to achieve anything against the cartels is to attack their infrastructure, not just go after the leaders. But Trump isn’t focusing on that,” he stated.
Sheinbaum reaffirms that she will not allow foreign intervention.
Since the beginning of the new U.S. administration, Donald Trump has designated six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and has imposed tariffs and security deployments on the border as part of his policy against drug trafficking and migration.
In response to these measures, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated that Mexico will not allow foreign military intervention, and that bilateral cooperation remains focused on joint actions to curb arms trafficking and strengthen national sovereignty.
Source: msn
