Former President Donald Trump's call for military force against Mexican cartels has gained traction among Republican candidates, with many of them adopting this stance as a key component of the party's doctrine. According to an article by The New York Times from Oct. 3, nearly every Republican candidate has been advocating for a plan that involves sending U.S. Special Operations troops into Mexican territory to combat drug cartels, dismantle their operations, and potentially designate them as foreign terrorist organizations.
The proposal to use military force in Mexico against drug cartels originated during Trump's presidency and has now become a significant talking point for Republican candidates. The main motivation behind this discussion is the alarming flow of fentanyl into the United States through the southern border. Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, has been associated with more than two-thirds of the nearly 110,000 overdose deaths in the United States over the past year.
Mexican drug cartels, which could potentially be labeled as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), have played a major role in fentanyl trafficking, contributing to the opioid crisis. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized millions of fentanyl-laced pills and thousands of pounds of fentanyl powder, with most of these seizures occurring at the U.S.-Mexico southern border, as reported by CBS News in April. Designating cartels as FTOs would enable the imposition of additional foreign sanctions and facilitate the prosecution of individuals associated with these organizations.
The Republican candidates' push for military intervention has faced strong opposition from Mexico's government. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has criticized the initiative, considering it irresponsible and an affront to Mexico's sovereignty. He has even suggested not supporting the Republican Party due to its perceived interventionist, inhuman, hypocritical, and corrupt stance. Mexican officials argue that the United States contributes to cartel violence by driving the drug trade through its demand and enabling gun violence in Mexico through the easy availability of firearms.
Republican candidates, who have endorsed military action against Mexican cartels, have faced criticism from Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry. One example highlighted in The New York Times' article is Vivek Ramaswamy. On the platform X, he called for treating the cartels as terrorist organizations and using military force to "decimate them." Mexican officials have responded by urging the United States to address the issue by curbing the flow of guns into Mexico.
The discussion surrounding military force against Mexican cartels remains a contentious topic, with Republican candidates aligning themselves with Trump's call for intervention and Mexico's government opposing this approach. As the Republican Party continues to advocate for military action, the issue is likely to remain a prominent aspect of the party's platform.
