Trump on Mexican cartels: ‘You know what the only solution is’

Donald Trump’s second term has been revolutionary in many ways, particularly in his administration’s approach to foreign affairs. From the get-go, the nomination of Marco Rubio as his top diplomat and Chris Landau as Rubio’s deputy signaled a break from orthodoxy. In picking Rubio, previously the most vocal senator on hemispheric affairs, and Landau, Trump’s ambassador to Mexico in his first term, the message was clear: our neighborhood is a top priority. 

In his first exclusive magazine interview of his second term, Trump met with The Spectator’s Ben Domenech in the Oval Office, where a large portion of the conversation delved into Latin-American affairs. 

When Domenech asked the president whether American businesses “should be looking to invest in Panama versus perhaps Mexico or something like that,” Trump discussed his “very bad experience in Panama,” where he built what was once the tallest building in Latin America. “The government was very difficult,” he said.

It is no coincidence that with the help of special envoy to Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone, the first American president of the Inter-American Development Bank, the administration is pursuing a flagship initiative to strengthen US investments in Latin America — América Crece 2.0. Trump’s Panama experience, while personal, is one to which hundreds of Americans can relate to. In a time when China is overtaking the US in key sectors throughout the hemisphere, a regional focus is vital. 

Perhaps one of the most riveting parts of the interview came when Domenech brought up Mexico and its cartels.  

After touching on Trump’s designation of the cartels as terrorist organizations, Domenech asked Trump if he is “going to hold to account a lot of these corrupt politicians who profited from that human trafficking, from pouring fentanyl in?” Trump agreed with the characterization. 

Domenech pushed on whether he’d go after leading Mexicans benefiting from the tragedy. “Well, certainly… I would recommend that they be looked at. You know, certainly it’s going to be up to Pam Bondi, who’s excellent at what she does. But there’s been so much…”

“Would you consider kinetic action in Mexico?” Domenech asked.

“Well, I’d rather not tell you that… because somehow…” said Trump.

“I have to ask anyway!” Domenech replied.

“I’d love to tell you. You know, it’s so interesting,” Trump said.

“Remain is obviously not a long-term solution. It was an immediate kind of solution, in your first term, what do you view as the long-term solution to make sure that Mexico handles this problem?” Domenech followed.

“I would rather not tell you that. You know why… You know what the only solution is.”

On that same night, twenty-nine Mexican cartel members were extradited to the US, including what a State Department press release this morning called “one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world, Rafael Caro Quintero.” A man “who tortured and murdered DEA Agent Kiki Camerena in 1985.”

“The previous administration allowed these criminals to run free and commit crimes all over the world, ” the press release read. “The Trump administration is declaring these thugs as terrorists, because that is what they are, and demanding justice for the American people.” Trump’s strategic ambiguity is intelligent, but if the cartels are terrorists and the region is a priority, we can infer what comes next. It’s not a good day to be in a cartel.

You can listen to the full interview here: