President Donald Trump is once again ratcheting up pressure on Mexico, warning that if its government refuses to confront violent drug cartels head-on, the United States may step in itself.
“If they are not going to do the job, we are going to do the job,” Trump declared during a speech this week, signaling a more aggressive posture toward cartel operations south of the border.
The president suggested that direct U.S. action could go beyond current maritime operations targeting cartel smuggling routes.
Trump pointed to ongoing strikes against cartel-linked boats at sea, claiming those efforts had already reduced maritime smuggling by 97%.
He then hinted that ground operations would be even easier to execute.
The remarks immediately sent shockwaves through Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected the idea of U.S. military personnel or federal agents operating inside Mexican territory.
The comments came just one day after Sheinbaum delivered a nationalist speech declaring that Mexicans “love freedom” and would resist any foreign intervention.
The increasingly heated rhetoric reflects growing strain between Washington and Mexico City as the Trump administration intensifies demands for a stronger crackdown on cartel violence, fentanyl trafficking and corruption.
Watch the clip below:
🔴#ÚltimaHora🔴 Trump dijo que si México no cumple con labor de atacar tráfico de drogas, EU 'hará el trabajo' como lo ha hecho contra narcolanchas en Caribe.https://t.co/GSSJ0FTxQe pic.twitter.com/XbbWxmaOJ6
— REFORMA (@Reforma) May 6, 2026
More over at Breitbart News:
Trump Threatens Use of Ground Troops to Fight Mexican Cartels — If They (Mexico) Won't Do it, We Will https://t.co/PE2Xdzd61w
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) May 7, 2026
