‘We are going to start hitting land’: Trump hints at US military action against Mexican cartels

In a major shift in US foreign and security policy, President Donald J. Trump has indicated that the United States might extend its military campaign against drug trafficking from the Caribbean and Pacific into Mexican territory, targeting drug cartels with land strikes. This comes on the heels of recent US military actions in Venezuela and diplomatic tensions over Greenland, all pointing to a broader assertive posture in the Western Hemisphere.

Since September 2025, the US has been carrying out Operation Southern Spear, a military campaign aimed at “detecting, disrupting, and degrading transnational criminal and illicit maritime networks,” according to official descriptions. The operation has involved air and naval strikes on vessels alleged to be trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

The campaign has blurred the lines between traditional law enforcement, typical in anti-drug operations, and military action.

‘Hitting land’ in Mexico

In a January 9, 2026, interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, Trump asserted that the United States would begin land strikes against drug cartels operating in or from Mexico. He stated: “We are going to start now hitting land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico… It’s very, very sad to watch and see what’s happened to that country.”

Trump framed this escalation as a response to drug-related violence and its impact on US citizens, claiming cartels are responsible for “250,000 to 300,000 people” dying annually in the US, a figure not corroborated by independent public health or law-enforcement data.

He also said he had pressed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to allow US troops to operate on Mexican soil against these groups, a request that Sheinbaum has publicly rejected, stressing that Mexican sovereignty is non-negotiable and any cooperation must respect territorial authority.

International law experts have warned that unauthorized military action in Mexico could be considered an act of aggression under the UN Charter, raising legal and diplomatic challenges. Some analysts argue that military measures are unlikely to solve the underlying issues driving drug trafficking and may provoke violent blowback and destabilization.

Other governments in the region, especially in Venezuela and Cuba, have criticized US military actions, calling them threats to regional stability. Venezuela’s acting leadership condemned past US strikes and warned they undermine diplomatic norms and respect for sovereignty.

Greenland rhetoric

The Mexican issue comes amidst the ongoing Greenland rhetoric, where, after nearly seven years of US President Trump first floated buying Greenland in 2019, the issue has resurfaced. Trump’s administration has declared Greenland essential to US national security, citing strategic positioning in the Arctic and missile defense considerations.

White House officials have confirmed that acquiring the Arctic territory via “a range of options” is under discussion, including the possible use of US forces, though exact plans remain undisclosed.

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, with a population of approximately 56,000, and retains autonomy over most domestic affairs. Copenhagen handles foreign policy and defense.