WASHINGTON – in a dramatic escalation of the administration’s approach to the opioid crisis, President Trump stated Monday he is considering authorizing military intervention in Mexico and Colombia to disrupt drug production and trafficking. The president indicated he would “be proud” to order operations targeting drug cartels and facilities in those countries, framing the issue as a matter of national security and a “war” on drugs that is claiming American lives. Such a move would mark a significant departure from traditional counter-narcotics strategies and potentially strain diplomatic relations with both nations.
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President Donald Trump stated Monday he would be open to authorizing military action inside Mexico and Colombia to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, adding he would “be proud” to target drug production facilities in those countries.
“I’ve been talking to Mexico; they know where I stand. We are losing hundreds of thousands of people to drugs,” Trump told reporters. “We know the locations of every drug lord… we know everything about them. They are killing our people. That’s like a war. Would I do it? I would be proud to do it.”
Such a move would represent a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to stem the tide of narcotics entering the U.S., following recent actions targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking.
The president indicated he would likely seek congressional approval before authorizing an operation in Mexico, stating, “and you know what? Both Democrats and Republicans would agree, unless they’re crazy.” He then suggested a similar action could be considered in Colombia.
“Colombia has cocaine factories where they make cocaine… would I destroy those factories? I would be proud to do it, personally,” Trump said. “I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but I would be proud to do it, because we’re going to save millions of lives by doing it.”
