Donald Trump threatens land strikes in Mexico to target cartel actionEloise BudimlichThe NightlyFri, 9 January 2026 12:30PMCommentsComments
US President Donald Trump has announced the government will launch land strikes in Mexico to “target cartels” in the administration’s latest controversial military operation.
Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Mr Trump said, “We are going to start, now, hitting land with regard to the cartels.”
“The cartels are running Mexico, and it’s very sad to watch, to see what’s happening to that country. But the cartels are running it. They’re killing 250,000, 300,000 people in our country every single year,” Mr Trump said.
The actual number of drug deaths connected to Mexican cartels in the United States is smaller than those unconfirmed figures, but is still significant.
Though deaths caused by synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) have been declining since 2023, the figure still sits at about 50,000 per year according to the latest figures provided by the US’ centre for disease control and prevention.
Fentanyl is primarily smuggled over the Mexico-US border in vehicles or by pedestrians carrying it in small amounts.
Majority of the fentanyl brought into the US from Mexico is made from chemicals from China.
Mexico is currently being led by its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, who said the country rejects foreign interference with its internal affairs.
This comes after Mr Trump launched a military operation and captured President Nicolas Maduro, the authoritarian leader of Venezuela.
Mr Maduro has since pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism criminal charges in the US, having been brought before a federal court in New York on Monday.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Mr Maduro said through an interpreter at the court hearing, before being cut off by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
Stepping in as his replacement is Delcy Rodriguez, who has served as vice president since 2018.
Ms Rodriguez initially took a hard stance against the capture of Mr Maduro, but following Mr Trump’s threat of a fate worse than her former-counterpart, she offered Venezuela’s compliance with the US government.
“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she wrote on Instagram on Sunday
“President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela right now.”
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