Politics
Marco Rubio gives Mexican drug cartels a clear message about using military force
Trump’s Secretary of State nominee advocates for bilateral cooperation but warns unilateral measures, including military force, remain on the table.

As Senator Marco Rubio steps closer to assuming the role of Secretary of State under Donald Trump’s administration, he delivered a striking message during his Senate confirmation hearing: the US is prepared to use military force against Mexican cartels if necessary.
In the final days before Trump’s inauguration, the Senate is conducting hearings to confirm key cabinet members. On January 15, Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he stressed the need for a collaborative effort with Mexico to dismantle organized crime.
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A dual threat: cartels and cross-border impact
Rubio emphasized the cartels’ destructive reach, stating they aren’t just a US problem—they also compromise Mexico’s sovereignty and endanger its citizens.
“These groups don’t simply terrorize the United States, they’re terrorizing and in some ways undermining the Mexican government and the Mexican sovereignty and the health and well-being of the Mexican people,” Rubio declared.
Military intervention as a last resort
While Rubio expressed a preference for a bilateral approach, he did not rule out unilateral action. When asked if the Mexican cartels should be designated cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that could authorize military intervention, he said that it would open up a number of avenues to degrade the cartels through financial means, but said that it is an “imperfect tool” as “these groups are sophisticated criminal enterprises.”
He said that “sadly they also have operational control over huge swaths of the border region between Mexico and the United States.” That prompted the question of whether the US should use military force. “That is an option the president [Trump] has at his disposal,” Rubio stated. However, he maintained that cooperation should prevail saying: “My preference would be that we can work with the Mexicans on this issue cooperatively.”
Rubio elaborated: “Whether that is the tool we use, which may be the appropriate one, or some new one that we come up with, it is important for us not just to go after these groups, but to identify them and call them for what they are – and that is terroristic in their nature. Because they are terrorizing America with mass migration and with a flow of drugs.”
A history of tension
This isn’t the first time US military intervention in Mexico has been suggested. Mexico’s government has consistently rejected such proposals, advocating instead for respectful cooperation between the two nations to tackle organized crime.
Original article written by Daniela Barrera, translated with the assistance of AI and edited by Greg Heilman.
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