US president signals possible expansion of military operations to Mexico, Colombia

In an interview with POLITICO, President Donald Trump suggested that US military operations could extend beyond their current scope in Latin America, including to Mexico and Colombia. 

The comments form part of a broader series of remarks in which Trump also criticized European political leadership and outlined his domestic policy priorities.

When asked about deploying American forces in regions affected by drug trafficking, Trump said, “Sure, I would,” indicating that he is considering military action against targets in countries where the drug trade is highly active. He specifically mentioned Mexico and Colombia as possible areas of operations.

On Venezuela, Trump was more circumspect, refusing to rule out US troop deployments against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which he blamed for exporting drugs and dangerous individuals to the United States. “I don’t want to rule in or out. I don’t talk about it,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to talk to you about military strategy.”

Trump’s statements came alongside his remarks on Europe, where he denounced the continent as “decaying” and led by “weak” political figures who have failed to control migration and address the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He explicitly signaled that he would endorse European politicians aligned with his worldview, citing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an example of a leader whose border-control policies he admires. “I’d endorse. I’ve endorsed people, but I’ve endorsed people that a lot of Europeans don’t like. I’ve endorsed Viktor Orbán,” Trump said.

On Latin American affairs, the president defended previous controversial actions, including his pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted in the US of drug-trafficking charges. Trump claimed he knew “very little” about Hernández but was convinced by “very good people” that the pardon was warranted. “They asked me to do it and I said, I’ll do it,” he stated.

By Vafa Guliyeva