Donald Trump considering military operations against two US allies
US President Donald Trump has declined to rule out expanding American military operations beyond Venezuela to include Mexico and Colombia, two long-standing US allies in Latin America.
In a recent interview with Politico, Trump said he would ‘consider’ using force against targets in both countries, citing their roles in narcotics trafficking into the United States.
Mexico is the primary route for heroin, cocaine and fentanyl entering the US, while Colombia remains one of the world’s largest cocaine producers.
US President Donald Trump has declined to rule out expanding American military operations beyond Venezuela to include Mexico and Colombia — two long-standing US allies in Latin America. Pic: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The comments come as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington has repeatedly threatened to remove.
Since early September, the US has carried out 22 strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 87 deaths.
Asked whether he would consider similar actions in other Latin American nations with active drug-trade routes, Trump replied: ‘Sure, I would.’
In a recent interview with Politico, Trump said he would ‘consider’ using force against targets in both countries, citing their roles in narcotics trafficking into the United States. Pic: Pete Marovich/Getty Images
A significant US military presence, including naval warships and special operations forces, has been deployed to the Caribbean as part of what the White House describes as a counter-drug operation.
Analysts, Venezuelan officials and opposition figures have accused Washington of using the mission as a pressure tactic against Caracas.
Critics have also raised concerns about potential extrajudicial killings, arguing the US has not provided concrete evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying narcotics or posed any threat.
Mexico is the primary route for heroin, cocaine and fentanyl entering the US, while Colombia remains one of the world’s largest cocaine producers. Pic: Allison Robbert/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump has also drawn scrutiny for pardoning former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been convicted in the US on multiple drug-trafficking charges and was serving a decades-long sentence.
Trump said he knew ‘very little’ about Hernández but had been urged by ‘very good people’ to issue the pardon, without specifying who made the request.
Meanwhile, the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group in the Caribbean in November coincided with the latest US attacks on suspected drug-smuggling boats.
The most controversial incident remains a September 2 strike on a vessel the administration claimed was transporting cocaine towards the US. A second missile strike killed two survivors seen clinging to the wreckage, with Pentagon officials later insisting they posed an ‘ongoing threat’.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is now facing heavy criticism over the decision to authorise that follow-up strike. The Pentagon has yet to release public evidence supporting its claims about the targeted vessels.
