Mexico’s armed forces have moved to heightened alert this week after recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting potential military action against drug cartels in Latin America, including strikes on Mexican territory.
Earlier this month, the U.S. dispatched a naval strike group to Venezuela. In a subsequent interview, Trump stated he would support strikes in Mexico to curb drug trafficking, a stance that has heightened concerns in Mexico City over sovereignty and border security.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has urged Washington to pursue enhanced intelligence-sharing and joint operations rather than unilateral military measures. Speaking in Mexico City, he stressed the long-standing partnership between the two nations and warned that any incursion could threaten regional stability.
In response, Mexico has mobilized additional troops along its more than 3,100-kilometer northern border. Rapid-response teams and mechanized units have been dispatched to key states such as Chihuahua, Sonora and Tamaulipas, where cartel activity remains a persistent challenge.
Security analysts caution that military action could inadvertently escalate violence and hinder cross-border trade. With around US$600 billion in annual bilateral commerce, disruptions at the border could ripple through supply chains, affecting businesses and travelers on both sides.
As tensions rise, experts call for urgent high-level talks to reaffirm cooperative frameworks like the Merida Initiative and explore new strategies against organized crime. For Mexico and its neighbors, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether diplomacy or force guides the next chapter of this complex relationship.
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Mexico’s military on alert after threats from Trump administration
cgtn.com
