Mexican cartels are increasingly avoiding direct attacks on Americans in Mexico as President Donald Trump threatens military action against traffickers and pushes a tougher regional crackdown that U.S. officials say is meant to raise the cost of cartel violence.
Cartels have long sought to protect business interests and limit actions that could trigger a major government backlash.
Some analysts believe that calculus includes avoiding the deliberate targeting of American tourists and citizens in Mexico, Fox News reported.
That broader pressure campaign is being articulated openly by the administration and its allies.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said, "America is prepared to take on these threats and go on the offense alone if necessary" and added that "business as usual will not stand," underscoring the administration's push for a more aggressive regional response.
Stephen Miller, the White House homeland security adviser, went further, saying cartels "must be treated just as ruthlessly" as ISIS and al-Qaida.
Trump sharpened that message Saturday at the Shield of the Americas summit in Doral, Florida, where he said the coalition's "heart" was a "commitment to using lethal military force" against cartels.
He later added, "We'll use missiles," offering the clearest public statement of how far he's willing to go to stop the lawlessness.
Trump launched a new anti-cartel coalition at the summit, which included more than a dozen leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The administration's legal framework also changed last year.
A Federal Register notice published Feb. 20, 2025, confirmed the designation of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and several other groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Analysts and former U.S. officials view those designations, together with public threats of military action, as part of the reason cartels appear more cautious about conduct that could draw direct U.S. retaliation.
Despite the travel risks, Americans continue to travel widely in Mexico, and dangers to visitors more often involve robbery, fraud, or extortion rather than deliberate cartel attacks.
However, the message from U.S. officials is that cartel violence against Americans will invite a far harsher response than it has in the past.
Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. response to cartel violence centered on sanctions, interdiction, and joint security cooperation with Mexico, rather than public threats of unilateral military force.
Biden's Executive Order 14059 expanded sanctions authority against foreign drug traffickers, giving the Treasury a broader tool to target cartel-linked networks and financiers.
The Biden administration also used the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue to intensify cooperation against fentanyl trafficking and precursor chemicals, with limited success.
In July 2024, the Department of Homeland Security said it was stepping up inspections, seizures, and enforcement actions aimed at dismantling cartels and stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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