In the run-up to the Thanksgiving holiday, President Trump announced that he had been working on the designation of certain Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations for the past ninety days.
President Trump told former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly in a radio interview broadcast Tuesday that Mexican cartels “will be designated” as terror groups because “we are losing 100,000 people a year to what is happening and what is coming through Mexico”.
The Mexican government is not amused and stated (contrary to what Mexican President Lopez Obrador has continually asserted) that they will work hard to stop drug cartels. The current Mexican administration has REPEATEDLY stated that they have a hands-off approach to drug cartels. Once bought, will they remain bought? And who really runs Mexico? The narcos or the constituted government. I think that we all know the answer to that question. So is it any wonder that Mexico is pushing back against the designation?
“I’ve actually offered him to let us go in and clean it out and he so far has rejected the offer. But at some point, [something] has to be done,” President Trump said, citing the damage done by drugs to American addicts and their families.
Under US law, a violent foreign group or individual who threatens American security can be designated as terrorist in nature and be subject to special sanctions.
Any institution dealing with a designated terrorist – such as a bank or government official – comes under heavy scrutiny and potential punishment.
There are currently no designated terrorist groups in Mexico and only one in Latin America, the National Liberation Army insurgent group in Colombia.
Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to Washington, said that the US government could go so far as limiting cooperation with a country that is home to designated terrorist groups. He said in a telephone interview that Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama had considered designating Mexican drug lords or cartels as terrorists.
“When they realzed the economic and trade implications it would have on US-Mexican ties, they backed down.”
But GW Bush and Barack Hussein Obama are not President Trump. Bush was busy fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and Obama was a wimp. President Trump is a different style of leader with a strong AMERICAN agenda underpinning everything that he’s done. The three women and six children of dual US-Mexican nationality who were killed in an ambush in northern Mexico has helped to push the terrorist designation. It was an action with shocked the conscience of the Mexicans as well, truth be told.
The news is sure to revive Mexicans’ concerns about possible US military involvement in combating drug trafficking on their soil – a highly sensitive subject in Mexico. Branding Mexican drug cartels with the terrorist label brings with it the possibility of US military action and frees up US intelligence agencies to engage in direct action style missions under the approval of US National Command Authority.
"…Obama was a wimp." Yes, he is that, as well as being an anti-American, communist asshole.
Thanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
What we are doing now isn't working very well. President Trump isn't a status quo guy. One of the reason the swamp hates him.
Drone strikes South of the border, perhaps?
Razor wire and MA-2's along the border would be a good start…..
Gee… if Mexico (the actual state) is helping by not hindering the Cartels, that means that Mexico (the actual state) is basically sponsoring the Cartels, so that means…
And since we know that Mexican troops under the pay of the Cartels have come across the border many times since the Cartels took over, so that means…
Well, Mexico, it was nice knowing you. Either Official Mexico will be forced to actively target the Cartels (not going to happen) or just go ahead and admit they (official Mexico) are ineffectual patsies of the Cartels (which they are, for the most part) and just openly act like the criminals they are.
I feel sorry for all the actual, uncorrupt members of the Mexican military, various police agencies and all the little people being smooshed by Official Mexico and their Cartel owners.
Hey, Mexico, Stay frosty my friends…
Looking forward to seeing what Trump has up his sleeves and what Obama judiciary will immediately say that Trump's ruling is illegal, invalid and at danger of cutting out one of the main sources of Democrat monies…
Muhahahahaha.
So, what does the crystal ball say for, oh, how about 3y and 5y out. Does Mexico get cleaner, or do the elements of the US military that end up dealing with Mexico get corrupted and dirty?
I guess that I may have sugar coated it.
Illegal aliens voting for donkeys is key to their hope of retaining the seats that they have in the legislature. There are race traitors (such as Kanye West) who are pointing out that the slums created by Democrats to keep the poor and black dependent and polling suggests that the light has gone on in some places and people are looking to Donald Trump. If the black vote jumps ship to any significant degree, all they'll have left is a few elite leftist enclaves and the illegals.
I think that bothers MEXGOV. The designation changes the rules of engagement.
I have some experience dealing with SEMAR (Mexican Navy), which had a key role in anti-cartel activity until Pres. Lopez Obrador took office. Because of corruption concerns, I only dealt with the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Intelligence and a colonel in the Mexican marines. All others were suspect. Literally. Which shows you how much trouble Mexico is in.
I was on the phone on Thanksgiving, discussing some of these very issues. Mexico is on the verge of national bankruptcy. The rot runs very deep. There is very serious concern that the house of cards will collapse. They've found that having the communists (PRD) in power wasn't any better than having PRI (socialists) or PAN (conservative but corrupt) calling shots.
There are ways forward for Mexico, but none of those work if drug cartels are in charge (in a shadow capacity).
On Thanksgiving (now, yesterday) there was a spike in high value illegal alien crossing through tunnels – mainly Chinese and Middle Easterners and in cross border narcotraffic. This is due to the holiday and bad weather. The US could crush it, but is there a public will to do so (or is it 'racist' to do so)?
Beyond the bureaucratic buffers, I know that there are people in USGOV who want to make a difference, but it's been difficult to do so because the law is not on the side of those people. It hampers, it restricts, etc. The Terrorist designation changes the rules and the playing field and it remains to be seen how that will work on the ground.
Good read and comments as usual. I'll be interested to see what comes of this.
No surprise Trump has been working behind the scenes with his own strategy to eliminate this cancer….he's a problem solver. [By all accounts] He came into office with his laundry list of things to solve (because he does give a damn, unlike the "Aren't We Special" club card holder political grifters).
Since Trump is not beholding to anyone he can attack the problem…making him the enemy of those who sold their souls.
Great insight posting…hope your inaugural WWM Thanksgiving was a good one.
Well done, Mr. President, and how can the situation not escalate to the point where we're forced to do something? Unpleasant day for the cartels when it does.
A Hawaiian judge just ruled Trump thinking about that is unconstitutional.
Seriously, our economy is entangled with Mexican parts and vehicle suppliers.
Doing the right thing could be ugly on both sides of the border.
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