The course of action I'd suggest is a course of action I can't suggest.



Clear and Present Danger needs a rewrite.

HumpitPuryear said:

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shiftyandquick said:

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The truth is that I don't think this has anything to do with drugs.

Just like all the tariffs on almost every country in the world was not actually to stop fentanyl deaths as Trump claimed.

I don't think the Venezuela incursion is about stopping cocaine.

BUT HERE WE ARE, AND MAGA PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE EVERY WORD HE SAYS.

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It's more than drugs. Cartels are the leaders in human smuggling, extortion, government corruption, industrial theft, car theft, etc. But you know this already and don't care.

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And democrats (and some republicans) are their accomplices.

Good Bull Jones 17 said:

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This is what I voted for

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A-freaking-men.

Let's go!

The amount of damage SF and some F-18/F-35/Reaper etc. strikes could do to the cartels in Mexico in the space of about 4 hours is just beyond most folks imagination, but I hope Trump isn't coordinating too much with Claudia as she is just an arm of said cartels, so it would just be for show and tell if so.

shiftyandquick said:

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NE PA Ag said:

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shiftyandquick said:

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I believe it was Rush Limbaugh who once said in reply to a woman who complained about the people selling her son drugs:

"Stop buying them."

One wonders how effective Supply-side drug war via missiles and bombs is going to work. I predict it will not work.

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So shocking that you'd post this. You don't even know what they're going do and you're already predicting failure.

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The truth is that I don't think this has anything to do with drugs.

Just like all the tariffs on almost every country in the world was not actually to stop fentanyl deaths as Trump claimed.

I don't think the Venezuela incursion is about stopping cocaine.

BUT HERE WE ARE, AND MAGA PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE EVERY WORD HE SAYS.

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Buddy. You're trying way too hard. And failing miserably.

I was really hoping for more overnight raid surprises. The Maduro extraction was amazing. But I guess the cartels are too spread out to make that a realistic expectation. Now we get to plant the idea in their heads and let them wear themselves out panicking before getting crushed as they so rightly deserve.

5Amp said:

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Mexico is our neighbor. Rand Paul will agree that some neighbors need a good punch in the face.

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Is this SATIRE?!?! FWIW, I'm not questioning your assertion that Rand made this statement; rather, I am questioning whether you believe Rand Paul is sincere about this statement NOW in light of recent events.

Look, I was a strong supporter of Rand Paul- ESPECIALLY during the Covid 19 hysteria; HOWEVER, recent reports (if true) claim Paul was a major beneficiary of Venezuelan dark money "bribes" to undermine Trump's vision/ plans to target the cartels & dictatorial regime in Venezuela under the guise of Libertarian principles. It does seem convenient that Paul was one of the loudest voices against targeting the drug boats, claiming we were performing reckless operations without concrete intelligence or proof, which is a claim that Fetterman (D) debunked after just one afternoon briefing. I fully realize he isn't the Lone Ranger of such conduct and practices, as several other Congressional members of BOTH parties were also ID'd as payees of similar Venezuelan efforts, along with other back channel operations by Russian, Chinese, & Israeli govt-backed organizations targeting these same Congressional members as well as others.

Accordingly, I now view Paul with a great deal of skepticism, as he's definitely been at odds with his Conservative base for quite a stretch, performing a 180 degree flip on several important issues.

And just to be clear, I'm NOT attacking Paul solely b/c I'm a "Trump MAGA" cultist; my fanboy support of Trump is primarily limited to his trolling of Progressive Libs with TDS & his adherence to the FAFO policy towards ANY nation or group that threatens US citizens and interests &/or demands, without any reciprocal benefit, a return to the status quo of America bankrolling every leftist global agenda while simultaneously financing military operations that they're guilting of stoking the flames behind the scenes.

Fitch said:

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Good Bull Jones 17 said:

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This is what I voted for

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A-freaking-men.

Let's go!

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With or without boots on the ground? And with or without Mexico agreeing to it?

Ag in Tiger Country said:

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5Amp said:

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Mexico is our neighbor. Rand Paul will agree that some neighbors need a good punch in the face.

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Is this SATIRE?!?! FWIW, I'm not questioning your assertion that Rand made this statement; rather, I am questioning whether you believe Rand Paul is sincere about this statement NOW in light of recent events.

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Ellis Wyatt said:

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And democrats (and some republicans) are their accomplices.

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And Catholic Cardinals and Bishops (Episcopals and Lutherans in the mix too, but Teddy McCarrick kinda set the model and the others followed).

It would be cool to see a discussion about an overall strategy in taking down the political control of the cartels, because air-strikes are a tool for that strategy. Strikes alone won't break the political control there.

The problem with fighting drug trafficking on the demand side is that it is a fight against human nature and to some extent, biology. There will always be people who want to push the envelope, to disassociate, to try new things, to do the taboo. And then of course when it comes to addiction, most people are simply not capable of beating a chemical dependency without serious help/intervention that is very expensive and difficult.

I don't know what the right answer is for hard drugs. For stuff like weed it seems like legalization is the obvious answer, but when it comes to heroin, cocaine, etc, it is a lot trickier. You could try to improve on the Portugal model, but that would be very unpopular I think. I think in a utopian world you would increase the standard of living and have very easy, affordable, and effective treatment for mental health issues and other situations that people want to self-medicate for.

The cartels are evil, full stop. These sorts of military operations are not that different from what the US has been doing for a long time, it just feels a little different to me because it is our neighbor, and a place that doesn't feel as "third world" as Afghanistan etc. But Mexico also has a much bigger impact on the US than Afghanistan or some other far flung place, so it's arguably even more important to clean it up.

I don't think that trying to cripple the existing cartels with force will work to substantially end the supply side long term. Creating a power vacuum without setting up the proper incentives to have the resulting system be what you want simply doesn't work.

Weapon and human trafficking is another aspect of it that I can't really wrap my mind around. There are of course people who are desperate to come to the US and will try to come illegally, but then there is the sort of trafficking that is far more insidious, like sex trafficking. That just makes me so sad and I am not sure how to prevent that except to punish the "suppliers" and the "customers".

I mean, in the decades of "War on Drugs!" we will finally be trying to kill them and blow their **** up right on our border so, actually a War on Drugs.....

I am a big "peace through strength" and "carry a big stick".... that the actions in Iran and Venezuela were good decisions. I am concerned strikes on Mexican cartels will lead to some scary things on this side of the border. I suspect they will become much more aggressive.

Air strikes are easy and they grab attention. Plus there's little they can do to fight back we'd have minimal collateral damage. One air strike causes a power vacuum. But 50 might just do the trick. I also wouldn't mind razing some poppy fields.

We'll never eliminate the cartels with air strikes. They're too distributed. But maybe we could convince them to stop operating across their northern border.

TxAg82 said:

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I am a big "peace through strength" and "carry a big stick".... that the actions in Iran and Venezuela were good decisions. I am concerned strikes on Mexican cartels will lead to some scary things on this side of the border. I suspect they will become much more aggressive.

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To what end? Draw more attention to themselves and get blown up more?

TxAg82 said:

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I am a big "peace through strength" and "carry a big stick".... that the actions in Iran and Venezuela were good decisions. I am concerned strikes on Mexican cartels will lead to some scary things on this side of the border. I suspect they will become much more aggressive.

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No doubt there would be retaliation on this side of the border. Violence will escalate and they will be on the losing side of that escalation....severely. I live in South Texas. There has always been a cost to having a free and righteous society and people will have to die to maintain it. It might even be me. I am not afraid. We cannot afford to be a country of craven men.

Don't these cartel leaders all live on gigantic, sprawling ranches?

I bet we have great intelligence WRT the locations of some of these cartel leaders and their operations/manufacturing plants, but Mexico has done little about it. I'm hoping that's changing and Mexico will just step aside and let us cook.

Martin Q. Blank said:

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TxAg82 said:

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I am a big "peace through strength" and "carry a big stick".... that the actions in Iran and Venezuela were good decisions. I am concerned strikes on Mexican cartels will lead to some scary things on this side of the border. I suspect they will become much more aggressive.

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To what end? Draw more attention to themselves and get blown up more?

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This. Plus there are already lots of scary things happening. The media doesn't report it as cartel violence but that's what it is. Plus, plus, the longer we wait the more politicians they buy and the more entrenched they become on this side of the border. They need to be eradicated like a disease.

No Spin Ag said:

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Fitch said:

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Good Bull Jones 17 said:

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This is what I voted for

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A-freaking-men.

Let's go!

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With or without boots on the ground? And with or without Mexico agreeing to it?

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Democrats strategy is always paralysis by analysis.

DrEvazanPhD said:

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shiftyandquick said:

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NE PA Ag said:

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shiftyandquick said:

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I believe it was Rush Limbaugh who once said in reply to a woman who complained about the people selling her son drugs:

"Stop buying them."

One wonders how effective Supply-side drug war via missiles and bombs is going to work. I predict it will not work.

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So shocking that you'd post this. You don't even know what they're going do and you're already predicting failure.

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The truth is that I don't think this has anything to do with drugs.

Just like all the tariffs on almost every country in the world was not actually to stop fentanyl deaths as Trump claimed.

I don't think the Venezuela incursion is about stopping cocaine.

BUT HERE WE ARE, AND MAGA PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE EVERY WORD HE SAYS.

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Buddy. You're trying way too hard. And failing miserably.

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Living up to his/her reputation

shiftyandquick said:

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NE PA Ag said:

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shiftyandquick said:

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I believe it was Rush Limbaugh who once said in reply to a woman who complained about the people selling her son drugs:

"Stop buying them."

One wonders how effective Supply-side drug war via missiles and bombs is going to work. I predict it will not work.

---

So shocking that you'd post this. You don't even know what they're going do and you're already predicting failure.

---

The truth is that I don't think this has anything to do with drugs.

Just like all the tariffs on almost every country in the world was not actually to stop fentanyl deaths as Trump claimed.

I don't think the Venezuela incursion is about stopping cocaine.

BUT HERE WE ARE, AND MAGA PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE EVERY WORD HE SAYS.

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LMAO

Oh with your brilliant incisive mind, please inform us plebes why they are REALLY doing these things!

nortex97 said:

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Oh boy, here we go. Which Democrat congress critter is going to be the first to walk out of the capitol to praise Mexican drug cartels/gangs now?

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The libs from San Antonio first

TAMUallen said:

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Needs to be done but how will Mexico repay us for dealing with their own problem?

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They will build the wall

That's great and all, but what about the enemies in the country? All these riots need to be put down.

I read this as aerial ops and with consent (perhaps not endorsement but allowance) of Mexican gov't.

Absent consent, I still support it but recognize the massive, massive concern for overstepping that creates. Largely why I think they now have some form of negotiated green-light.

And no to boots on ground unless we're talking Maduro-style night time cartel extractions to stand trial in US, and even then that's extremely murky and not apples-to-apples with the Venezuela op as most all of the bodyguard deaths were Cubans, who we have a starkly different relationship with than Mexico. Cartel leaders or henchman alike are all Mexican citizens here, and are deeply sewn into local communities and economies, so boots on ground game is likely not in the cards.

Fitch said:

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I read this as aerial ops and with consent (perhaps not endorsement but allowance) of Mexican gov't.

Absent consent, I still support it but recognize the massive, massive concern for overstepping that creates. Largely why I think they now have some form of negotiated green-light.

And no to boots on ground unless we're talking Maduro-style night time cartel extractions to stand trial in US, and even then that's extremely murky and not apples-to-apples with the Venezuela op as most all of the bodyguard deaths were Cubans, who we have a starkly different relationship with than Mexico. Cartel leaders or henchman alike are all Mexican citizens here, and are deeply sewn into local communities and economies, so boots on ground game is likely not in the cards.

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I'm very down with all that you said and if we can do it with Mexico giving us a green light then we need to go all in as much as permitted and whatnot.

nortex97 said:

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The amount of damage SF and some F-18/F-35/Reaper etc. strikes could do to the cartels in Mexico in the space of about 4 hours is just beyond most folks imagination, but I hope Trump isn't coordinating too much with Claudia as she is just an arm of said cartels, so it would just be for show and tell if so.

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He doesn't even coordinate with loose lip loser democrats.

BkYdPitmaster said:

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nortex97 said:

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Oh boy, here we go. Which Democrat congress critter is going to be the first to walk out of the capitol to praise Mexican drug cartels/gangs now?

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The libs from San Antonio first

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You mean my wonderful congressman, Wackeen Castro? Yeah, good bet.

The cartels and the corrupt Mexican government in bed with them are the biggest threats to America in the hemisphere. This is exactly what I voted for. Take them out.

I don't endorse this but I think we could essentially have functional control of Mexico in months if not weeks. It would be a quagmire tho and not worth it. Wipe out most of one cartel's leadership and I believe the others would be changing their ways pretty fast albeit they would probably just change tactics and reset over time and there would likely be negative consequences towards American tourists and even violence within our borders as retribution. Jmo.

Waffledynamics said:

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nortex97 said:

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Oh boy, here we go. Which Democrat congress critter is going to be the first to walk out of the capitol to praise Mexican drug cartels/gangs now?

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Every single one of them should be strapped to a chair and forced to watch, at minimum, a 24 hour loop of cartel execution videos.

Warning: do NOT look for them unless you have a very strong constitution. They are horrifying.

They should then have to make a public statement about what they saw and why they feel these groups should be defended by them as a member of the US Congress.

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Any video that starts with a plastic drop cloth covering the walls is going to get messy.

Talked to my Mexico City employees and uber drivers on their opinions about this. To a person, they all described this as pest control, not lofty values of sovereign rights of Mexico. Think about if you refused to take I-35 to Des Moines because once you get into the hinterlands of Oklahoma, you're in a lawless place where you will likely be ambushed and robbed on the highway. That's the reality of cartels and Mexico.

In a vacuum, kill the cartel leaders, Mexico has had decades to fix this and their leaders are incentivized not to. This has been a long time coming.

TAMUallen said:

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Needs to be done but how will Mexico repay us for dealing with their own problem?

Also, how is the power vacuum solved when you remove elements of a very well established criminal enterprise that has embedded itself in all levels of government and society?

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We can seize the cartels money.

Sure…but R.E Lee and Winfield Scott aren't walking thru that door this evening. Funny anecdote I had to look back up from US Grant re: the time in 1845 the US decided to invade/conquer Mexico (not the best source but it is a real quote):

Quote:

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U.S. Grant wrote about the annexation of Texas and the War with Mexico in his Personal Memoirs:

"Generally, the officers of the army were indifferent whether the annexation was consummated or not; but not so all of them. For myself, I was bitterly opposed to the measure, and to this day regard the war, which resulted, as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory."

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Sorry for the derail, but that sentiment strikes me as a bit ironic in the present context, sitting in my north Texas home in 2025 hoping to see US strikes into Mexican cartel locations when I wake up.

It seems real to her (translated):

Quote:

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@Claudiashein's non-verbal language confirms that she does indeed see @realDonaldTrump's threat to intervene in Mexico as real:

Face of concern, speaks fluidly, doesn't use her typical little tone

But she's wrong: The US doesn't want to "tighten," it wants results.

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🔴🚨|| El lenguaje no verbal de @Claudiashein confirma q la amenaza de @realDonaldTrump para intervenir en Méx sí la ve real:

Rostro de preocupación, habla fluido, no usa su típico tonito

Pero se equivoca: EEUU no quiere “estrechar”, quiere resultados.pic.twitter.com/wcCM0VGCDp

— Alan Adame  (@AlanAdameMX) January 9, 2026