From cartels to terrorists: Trump imposes a new paradigm on Mexico in the war on drugs

“As commander-in-chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do. We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before.” This is how Donald Trump announced an avalanche of decrees to address the migration crisis and the fight against organized crime during his inaugural address. After months of warnings, the Republican made his threats against Mexico concrete with a battery of heavy-handed measures that contained few surprises. “This already happened — it’s not something new,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, outlining the actions of the White House against immigration. There was, however, one notable exception: the designation of the cartels as terrorist organizations. The change heralds a new era in the war on drugs. It places unprecedented power in Trump’s hands as well as greater discretion and more weapons to pressure the Mexican authorities, who are on edge due to the risks to the country’s sovereignty and the impact on all critical areas of the bilateral relationship.

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