Donald J. Trump is moving decisively on a wide array of fronts, both in domestic and foreign policies—and sometimes, these two categories overlap.
Take, for example, border security and the fight – on both sides of the divide with Mexico – against drug influx and illegal migrant smuggling-human trafficking operations, both undertaken by the brutal and extremely well-armed Mexican Cartels.
Here, too, Trump’s team will not operate in the old, expected fashion – but is alerting the neighboring authorities of their full intention of acting forcefully unless they up their game and tackle the issue.
A report arose that, in late January, a mere 7 days after his confirmation as Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth warned Mexican officials that the US military was ‘ready to take unilateral action’ against the country’s drug cartels.
The only way for Mexico to prevent this, the Secretary reportedly stated, is by working harder to stem the flow of fentanyl and migrants into the US.
Read: Mexico’s President Plans to Change Constitution to Protect Drug Cartels From U.S. Military Strikes
The New York Post reported:
“The Pentagon chief made the remark during a Jan. 31 call with top Mexican military officials, while urging them to address collusion between their country’s government and violent criminal organizations, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Mexican officials on the call were ‘shocked and angered’ by Hegseth’s comments, and were left with the impression that he was suggesting US military strikes could take place south of the border, according to the outlet.”
In the Pentagon readout of Hegseth’s call, the secretary stated that his top priority is to safeguard the United States and its citizens, including acting to secure the southern border.
“’The Secretary highlighted the importance of Mexico’s armed forces continuing to disrupt cartel activities that threaten the United States, and for Mexico to continue taking steps to curb illegal migration into the United States’, the readout continued. ‘In both calls, the Secretary and his Mexican counterparts reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation between our militaries’.”
Hegseth has previously refused to rule out US military action against Mexican drug cartels.
“’All options will be on the table’, he said during a ‘Fox & Friends’ interview when asked if the military is permitted to conduct operations inside Mexico after President Trump ordered criminal cartels to be designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
That remark was on the same day as his call with Mexico’s military brass.”
Read more:
Friday Night Massacre: Hegseth Fires Top Navy Officer and Vice Chief of the Air Force
The post Defense Secretary Hegseth Puts Mexico on Blast: ‘Curb the Influx of Migrants and Fentanyl, or US Military Will Strike the Cartels’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.