Mexican Leaders Seek U.S. Support Against Cartels
Mexican Senator Lily Telles recently spoke on “Fox & Friends Weekend” to address the increasing tensions between President Trump and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. This comes as the U.S. expands its military presence in the region to combat drug smuggling and cartel activities.
On Thursday afternoon, President Trump is set to host a roundtable discussion at the White House with law enforcement and government representatives. The focus will be on evaluating the progress of the Homeland Security Task Force, which he established on his first day in office to mitigate the threats posed by criminal cartels within the U.S.
White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson described the Task Force as a significant achievement, emphasizing the potential the federal government has under dynamic leadership. According to her, Trump’s administration has successfully removed various threats, including illegal drugs and cartel members, making communities safer. “But,” she noted, “this is just the beginning.”
Trump enacted the Special Committee on Homeland Security through an executive order on January 20, aimed at “Protecting the American People from Invasion.” This order tasked Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with developing similar task forces across states to combat human trafficking and cartel influence.
The executive order mandates efforts to eliminate criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations, focusing particularly on dismantling human smuggling networks and ensuring the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
At the roundtable, Trump will be joined by several officials, including Stephen Miller, Noem, Bondi, Todd Blanche, Army Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence. They will discuss updates regarding the Task Force’s ongoing efforts.
As part of these initiatives, there’s been a considerable crackdown. Reports indicate that since August, over 3,000 arrests have been made, targeting members of infamous gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel and MS-13. Additionally, authorities have seized millions of fentanyl pills and a significant amount of cash and illegal firearms.
In a speech to Congress in March 2025, Trump reiterated the need to tackle violence stemming from illegal immigrants and criminal factions, pointing out that cartels exercise control south of the U.S. border and pose serious risks to national security.
In conjunction with these measures, U.S. military operations targeting suspected cartel vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have been initiated, illustrating a broader effort to dismantle the influence of multinational cartels.
