Trump Rattles Latin America by Weighing Using Military Force (3)

The US under President Donald Trump is crafting a confrontational approach toward Latin America that signals a willingness to use military force against drug cartels, discarding the Biden administration’s preference for carrots over sticks to coax countries into alignment with US interests.

The New York Times reported Friday that the president ordered the Defense Department to prepare options to take military action against Latin American drug cartels. A US agreement with Mexico to expand security cooperation, expected to be signed in the coming weeks, would facilitate joint monitoring of criminal organizations by security forces and coordination on the border.

A US Army tank at the US-Mexico border wall in Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico.

Photographer: Mauricio Palos/Bloomberg