US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urged the Mexican government to “step up” against drug cartels so that the Trump Administration does not have to intervene.
The Trump administration has placed Mexico and Colombia as priority targets in its new 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, a document that toughens US drug policy and demands “measurable” results against drug trafficking, especially in the fight against fentanyl and the cartels.
Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday to discuss the ceasefire in Iran and the negotiations to end the war.
Hegseth acknowledged the work of the Mexican Army and Navy for their efforts against drug cartels.
“In Mexico, where we had an unprecedented amount of collaboration. We appreciate it and encourage the Navy and Defense to continue collaborating wherever possible and to do more. That is the expectation of the United States government, of the Mexican government, that they intervene so that we don’t have to,” he stated.
During an appearance before the Subcommittee on Defense of the House Appropriations Committee, Hegseth highlighted the “unprecedented” collaboration he has had with the government of Claudia Sheinbaum.
During the hearing, convened to increase the department’s budget, he affirmed that the number one priority was the Western Hemisphere and national security, which is why the coalition against cartels and the pursuit of criminal groups were established.
Trump claims cartels rule Mexico
Just last Friday, President Donald Trump again asserted that drug cartels “rule Mexico.”
His statement came two days after he asserted that if the neighboring country doesn’t do “its job” to combat them, Washington will.
At a Mother’s Day event at the White House, the Republican highlighted that his administration has reduced drug trafficking by sea by 97 percent, but insisted that narcotics continue to arrive overland through Mexico.
“You’ll see how it continues to go down (cross-border trafficking), although (the drugs) are coming through Mexico primarily. We have a problem because the cartels run Mexico, and nobody else. It’s the cartels, simply put, who run it,” Trump said.
Trump has previously asserted that Mexico is completely in the hands of the major drug cartels, and his remarks today come after he threatened, once again this week, to intervene militarily in Mexican territory against the cartels.
“We are taking action,” Sheinbaum responded.
Trump’s message on Wednesday already drew a reaction from his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum, who countered by saying that her country is “taking action” against drug trafficking and remains open to cooperating with the United States in this effort, while reiterating the need to respect the sovereignty of the Mexican state.
Since his return to the White House in 2015, the fight against drug trafficking, especially fentanyl trafficking, has become one of Trump’s top priorities. He has designated the major Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
Source: elfinanciero
