Trump Warns Cartels Run Mexico, Pledges Missile Strikes on Smuggling Boats

President Donald Trump addressed a gathering of first responders on October 16, stating that drug cartels have taken control of Mexico and are the primary obstacle to regional stability. He told the audience that, while the United States collaborates with Mexican authorities, the cartels still dominate the nation’s policies.

Trump highlighted the use of precision missiles to target boats suspected of transporting illegal drugs across the ocean. According to the president, these strikes have dramatically reduced the willingness of smugglers to use maritime routes.

He also pointed to a claimed 97 percent decline in sea‑based drug flow into the United States, though he offered no statistical backup. The administration’s early focus on maritime interdiction, he said, was essential because monitoring open water is inherently difficult.

The president shifted focus to ground operations, asserting that U.S. intelligence now maps cartel strongholds and can act against them despite rising challenges. He announced that cartel members have been given a period to surrender, without providing further details.

Trump celebrated a 67 percent cut in fentanyl entering through the southern border and praised the agencies responsible for securing the frontier, declaring the border the safest it has ever been and noting a steep fall in illegal entry attempts.