President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States is moving closer to taking action against nations that harbor drug cartels. This announcement follows the capture of Nicolas Maduro from his residence and the subsequent US control over Venezuela’s operations. The situation intensified after a temporary shutdown of El Paso International Airport on Wednesday morning, triggered by Mexican drones entering US airspace. On Tuesday, Trump proudly shared with Fox News that drug trafficking into the US has decreased by 33% following Maduro’s capture last month. The administration has hinted that Trump’s military efforts might extend beyond Venezuela.

In a Tuesday night interview, Trump stated, “Now we’re gonna start on land. We had to do the boats first because they would go immediately to the boats. Now we’re gonna hit them on land. We’re gonna hit them very hard on land.” While he didn’t specify which country he was targeting, tensions between the US and Mexico have been escalating, and the White House hasn’t ruled out the potential for action in other Latin American countries. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the Daily Mail, “The President has left all options on the table to stop drugs from flooding into our country – just as he promised,” when asked about the President’s intentions regarding Venezuela and possible actions in other regions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reopened El Paso International Airport just hours after it was closed due to “special security reasons” along the Texas-Mexico border. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that the FAA and the Department of War “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” An administration official confirmed to the Daily Mail that “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace.” Although the closure was initially expected to last ten days, it was lifted after only a few hours.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a Wednesday morning press conference: ‘There is no information about the use of drones on the border.’ She committed to her administration investigating the incident and looking into ‘the exact causes of why they closed’ US airspace, and urged Trump’s team to contact her government if they have information to share. The drone action in Texas had led to some questions over whether Trump might use this to take action in Mexico next. A person familiar with the administration’s thinking didn’t deny when asked by the Daily Mail that it’s possible that the White House could use this incident as a reason to get more involved on the ground in Mexico to shut down drug cartel activity.

And a former Pentagon official said ‘given the threat’ by the Mexican drone activity, it could predicate retaliation by Trump. ‘The issue is will Mexico act in a way that addresses this threat coming from its territory into the US,’ they added, suggesting that if the Mexican government acts, it could deter Trump from wanting to do it himself. In September 2025, the War Department began conducting strikes against vessels in the Caribbean and southern Atlantic that were allegedly carrying drugs as the Trump administration moved to stop drug trafficking in the region. The operation included at least 38 strikes and resulted in the deaths of 128 people.

This all culminated in the secretive abduction of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their bunker in Venezuela on January 3, 2026. They were extradited to New York where they are facing narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges, among others. Trump has previously threatened to also conduct US military strikes against drug cartels operating out of Mexico. He told Fox News in early January that he would ‘start now hitting land with regard to the cartels,’ and directly linked it to the US southern neighbors by claiming: ‘The cartels are running Mexico.’ ‘On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to take on the cartels – and he has taken unprecedented action to stop the scourge of narcoterrorism that has resulted in the needless deaths of innocent Americans,’ White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in her statement.