Cooperative efforts between the U.S. and Mexico to combat drug cartels appear to have hit some snags, as evidenced by no new announced actions.
The Wall Street Journal reported that since an April 16 call between President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, there have been no new agreement announcements or documented actions.
Trump’s request to get U.S. military operatives inside Mexico for confrontation with cartels was rejected by Sheinbaum. But Trump has not given up.
Shortly after that mid-April meeting, Trump told the Fox Spanish-language network that he wanted to help Sheinbaum and said "Mexico is very, very afraid of the cartels," according to the Journal.
The report indicated that despite Sheinbaum's refusal to allow U.S. forces to operate in Mexico, the Trump administration has considered the deployment of armed drones or unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct attacks on cartel bosses.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Newsmax that international drug cartels are "increasingly desperate." She said they have begun to use drones over U.S. territory to help coordinate attacks on US Border enforcement agents.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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