President Donald Trump — engaged in psychological warfare against Venezuela with a massive military contingent in the Caribbean that continues to sink suspected drug-trafficking vessels — also lashed out on Monday against Mexico, the source of most of the fentanyl circulating in the United States. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he would be “proud” to order strikes in Mexico, but declined to answer whether he would do so without first consulting the Mexican government.
“Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? That’s fine with me, whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” he said in response to a reporter’s question about potential strikes in Mexico. Asked whether such attacks would only take place with the authorization of Mexican authorities, Trump said he would “not answer that question” and that he had already spoken to Mexico. “They know how I am.”
The president said Mexican authorities are aware that “we are losing hundreds of thousands of people to drugs” and that much of this drug comes from Mexico. “So let me say this: I’m not happy with Mexico,” he added.
This is not the first time the US president has publicly protested against drug trafficking from Mexico, where most of the fentanyl entering the United States comes from. Fentanyl has become the deadliest drug in the United States and is responsible for the majority of the tens of thousands of overdose deaths that occur in the country each year.
At the same event – a meeting with FIFA representatives to prepare for next year’s World Cup, which the United States will host – Trump also reiterated that his administration must “take care” of the Venezuela issue. His remarks came the day after the U.S.S Gerard Ford The world’s largest and most modern aircraft carrier has arrived in the Caribbean to join the US fleet that has been conducting extrajudicial attacks on suspected drug traffickers’ ships, with the stated mission of combating drug trafficking.
The arrival of ford and its carrier strike group brings the number of U.S. troops in the region to 15,000, making the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean the largest in 60 years. This has fueled speculation that the true goal of the mission – dubbed the “Spear of the South” and which also includes attacks on ships in the eastern Pacific – is to force regime change in Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro himself claims that the real aim is his downfall.
The Republican president is keeping his cards close to his chest and sending mixed signals about his plans. Last week, after a series of meetings with his advisers to discuss next steps in the Caribbean, he said he had already “more or less” made a decision.
On Sunday, the US State Department announced that it will designate the Venezuelan Sun Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing Maduro of leading it. This move opens the door to an attack on Venezuelan soil, since the White House’s legal argument for the military campaign is that the United States is at war with drug trafficking gangs included on that list.
Yet, a few hours later, Trump mentioned in other statements the possibility of starting direct talks with Caracas, assuring that the Maduro regime was willing to do so. He said on Monday that he was not ruling out any options regarding a possible military intervention in Venezuela, while reiterating his willingness to talk to the Venezuelan leader. “I’m not ruling anything out. We just have to take care of Venezuela,” Trump argued.
The president also reiterated his opinion, expressed on multiple occasions during his term, that Venezuela “empty its prisons” and send its detainees to the United States.
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