Trump Said The U.S. Could Launch Ground Strikes Against Drug Cartels Anywhere

• 25.01.2026, 9:23

Washington "knows everything" about routes and bases.

US President Donald Trump said that the US military could launch ground strikes against drug cartels anywhere, including territories in Mexico, Central and South America, as part of an expanded fight against drug trafficking.

The New York Post reports this.

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

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

The administration is known to have previously carried out military operations against suspected drug ships in the Caribbean and Pacific, with the deaths of suspects and international criticism.

The idea of expanding operations to land follows recent U.S. actions in Venezuela, where U.S. forces conducted an operation to detain President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Silia Flores on charges of facilitating drug trafficking.

At the same time, the proposal for possible strikes on Mexican territory has faced criticism from the Mexican leadership, which emphasizes the country's sovereignty and points to the need to fight organized crime on its own.

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