If there was one talking point on the campaign trail that riled up his supporters, it was Donald Trump’s vow to destroy the wealthy, powerful Mexican drug cartels that have made billions of dollars shipping fentanyl into the United States. That synthetic opioid has ravaged communities, torn apart families and claimed the lives of more than 84,000 Americans in a single one-year period.
The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels are primarily responsible for the scourge, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Due to the extent of the problem, Republicans and Democrats are of one mind on this issue. Whereas lawmakers may have different opinions on what policies should be enacted, all agree that more needs to be done.
The Mexican government isn’t blind to this fact. President Donald Trump’s administration consists of numerous people — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, to name two — who have recommended U.S. military action against the cartels in the past. Trump reportedly pontificated about striking fentanyl labs inside Mexico during his first term. In fact, bombing Mexico could now be considered a mainstream policy recommendation in Trump’s Republican Party.
Read article in The Chicago Tribune
Author
Daniel
DePetris
Fellow
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