Trump Eyes Drone Strikes in Mexico: Is This the Start of a Cross-Border War?

Subhead: As the fentanyl crisis deepens, the Trump administration considers military action against Mexican cartels—raising fears of unprecedented foreign intervention.

Since his campaign days, Trump has insisted on playing a greater role in the fight against criminal drug trafficking organizations, blaming the countries where they operate for the fentanyl crisis afflicting the U.S. and resulting in thousands of deaths each year.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is considering using drones to strike drug cartels in Mexico in an effort to combat drug trafficking across the southern border, NBC News reported on Tuesday.

The report cited six current and former U.S. military, law enforcement, and intelligence officials with knowledge of the matter.

There has been no official confirmation of these statements, but the idea of using drones is not new in Trump’s security strategy. He has previously floated the possibility of drone use, as well as a potential military incursion into the neighboring country.

Since his campaign, Trump has insisted on more aggressive involvement in dismantling drug trafficking organizations, blaming the countries where they operate—especially Mexico—for the fentanyl crisis that has devastated the U.S., causing thousands of deaths annually.

This past Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on his official X account (formerly Twitter) that the administration, under President Donald Trump, had imposed “sanctions” on a money laundering network linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

According to Rubio, the move aims to disrupt the cartel’s financial flows and operational capacity, ultimately protecting “American lives.”

“The Trump Administration has taken decisive action against a money laundering network tied to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. By cutting off financial flows to the Cartel, these sanctions will safeguard the U.S. financial system, weaken the Cartel’s ability to smuggle deadly drugs into the United States, and protect American lives.”

This is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to combat the fentanyl crisis in the U.S., for which it blames Mexico. In response, Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican goods until the issue, along with illegal immigration into the U.S., is resolved.