Trump talks up military strikes upon World Cup co-host Mexico in escalation of war on cartels
President Trump has refused to rule out military strikes on the US's World Cup co-host Mexico as part of his administration's attacks on drug cartels in Latin America.
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During a briefing on next summer's football spectacle, a reporter suggested that he may authorise strikes on drug cartels in Mexico as he has done so in the Caribbean Sea.
Trump said: "Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It's OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs...
"I looked at Mexico City over the weekend, there's some big problems over there."
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The US will host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
Referring to recent strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, he said: "If we had to, would we do there what we've done to the waterways? You know, there's almost no drugs coming into our waterways anymore."
It comes weeks after the Pentagon said the President declared the US was in an "armed conflict" with cartels.
This is the same legal rationale the US previously used to target terrorist organisations, including al-Qaeda and ISIS.
In September, 25 Democratic senators wrote to the White House accusing it of launching strikes "without evidence that the individuals on the vessel and the vessel's cargo posed a threat to the United States."
But Mr Trump has insisted he has the authority to launch strikes without the backing of Congress.
The US has also been increasing its military presence in the Caribbean, with around 10,000 troops, a contingent of marines, and at least ten warships now in the region.