After Nicolás Maduro's fall, Donald Trump issued a strong warning to the Mexican narco government

After the United States military intervention in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of the Chavista leader Nicolás Maduro, United States President Donald Trump raised the tone of his warnings about Mexico, stating that the neighboring country faces a structural security problem because it is, in his words, "governed by drug cartels."

In an interview with Fox News, Trump maintained that the magnitude of drug trafficking toward the United States forces consideration of more forceful measures to protect the American population.

The president asserted that he has repeatedly raised with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum the possibility of direct cooperation to put an end to the cartels.

"Something will have to be done with Mexico", Trump declared, as he recounted that he has asked Sheinbaum several times whether she wants the United States to help end these criminal organizations. According to the president, the Mexican president's response has been negative, motivated by the fear that, he claims, the cartels generate even in the highest echelons of power.

Trump rejected the idea that the operation in Venezuela was a direct message for Mexico, although he stressed that the drug trafficking that crosses the southern border is a national emergency.

He stated that the United States loses tens, and even hundreds, of thousands of lives every year because of drugs, particularly due to substances that enter from Mexican territory. "We have to do something with Mexico," he insisted, as he pointed out that the human cost of drug trafficking is unacceptable.

The United States president's statements align with a stance that he has consistently maintained since the beginning of his second term.

Trump has reiterated that, although he respects President Sheinbaum and acknowledges her personal courage, he believes that the Mexican state is weakened in the face of the cartels' power.

On several occasions he has pointed out that these criminal organizations not only control drug trafficking routes, but also directly influence broad regions of the country, imposing their law through violence and intimidation.

From Trump's perspective, this situation is not only an internal problem for Mexico, but a direct threat to United States national security. The president has defended his position by arguing that the cartels have built multibillion-dollar fortunes at the cost of the death and addiction of American citizens, and that they act as true transnational organizations with the capacity to corrupt institutions and destabilize governments.

In that regard, Trump has stated that his proposal for military cooperation doesn't seek to undermine Mexican sovereignty, but to offer support against a common enemy. He has gone so far as to say that, if Mexico accepted help, it would be "an honor" for the United States to intervene to dismantle the cartels, which he described as "evil" and responsible for indiscriminate violence both in Mexico and in the United States.

Although Sheinbaum has categorically rejected any foreign military intervention and has opted for a strategy of non-confrontation with Washington, Trump believes that this stance is insufficient given the magnitude of the problem.

For the United States president, the recent experience in Venezuela shows that, when there are serious threats linked to drug trafficking and criminal structures entrenched in power, inaction carries higher costs than firm decisions.

Trump has stated that the fight against drug trafficking must be approached with realism and determination. From his perspective, as long as the cartels continue to operate with impunity and territorial control, neither Mexico nor the United States will be able to fully guarantee the security of their citizens. His statements seek to press for a change of approach and to open the debate on more decisive actions in the face of one of the region's most persistent challenges.