In a weekend interview on Fox & Friends, President Donald Trump addressed the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, saying the mission was not meant as a message to Mexico but hinting that further measures could be necessary to address drug trafficking concerns.
Trump described the operation — which involved airstrikes in Caracas and the subsequent extradition of Maduro and his wife to face narcotics trafficking charges in the Southern District of New York — as focused squarely on drug enforcement, not on sending geopolitical signals to Mexico. Despite this, he pivoted quickly to criticism of Mexican authorities, asserting that powerful drug cartels, rather than Mexico’s elected leadership, wield significant influence in the country.
“We’re very friendly with her. She’s a good woman,” Trump said of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, while also claiming that cartels effectively “run Mexico.” According to Trump, he has offered U.S. support to combat these groups, a proposal he says Sheinbaum has repeatedly declined.
Trump also expanded the conversation to domestic fallout from drug trafficking, claiming that official U.S. figures understate drug-related deaths and emphasizing the role of the southern border in the flow of illicit substances. He concluded by stressing that “something’s gonna have to be done with Mexico,” a line that underscored his belief that more decisive action — potentially beyond diplomatic cooperation — may be necessary.
The remarks signal a possible escalation in Trump’s rhetoric toward Mexico and raise questions about the future direction of U.S. policy on drug enforcement and regional security.
