Donald Trump Says Cartels Control Mexico: 'Nobody Does Anything. They Just Rule It'

Diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico remain in a delicate state that continues to deteriorate by the day.

Although both governments have worked together on a range of issues, including immigration, the economy and efforts to combat drug trafficking organizations, tensions between officials have persisted over the best course of action in recent months.

As new reports suggest the Trump administration's trust in the Mexican government has reached a new low, scrutiny has intensified over Mexican consulates, which President Donald Trump claims are attempting to influence U.S. policy and the upcoming November midterm elections, further straining diplomatic relations between the two countries.

During a speech at the White House Rose Garden, Trump launched another attack on Mexico, saying drug cartels have "extreme control" over the country, implying that President Claudia Sheinbaum lacks effective authority over its territory.

"We have a problem because the cartels rule Mexico, nobody does anything. They just rule it," Trump said. "We lose 200,000 people a year through this poison that pours into our country."

Addressing a group of mothers present at the event marking Mother's Day, Trump also criticized what he called "stupid border policies" pushed by "the radical left," arguing they had contributed to record levels of migration and increased drug-related harm in the United States.

Also speaking about border security, Trump said illegal crossings at the southern border had dropped to "zero" and that drug flows into the United States were down 97%. During the event, he reiterated remarks made earlier in the week that the U.S. would now shift its focus to land-based operations to combat drug cartels.

"If they're not gonna do the job, we're gonna do the job," Trump said earlier this week, suggesting governments in the region were still not doing enough to confront drug trafficking organizations.

The military campaign launched in South America to allegedly combat narcoterrorism can be seen as evidence that the Trump administration can escalate operations without approval from other governments. Since early September, the U.S. has killed at least 191 people in Latin American waters in a series of airstrikes.

Trump's threats were also echoed in the 2026 United States Counterterrorism Strategy report, published May 6, which says military personnel will continue operations against cartels by targeting their finances, precursor supply chains and the movement of their profits.

"We will do so in concert with local governments when they are willing and able to work with us," the report states. "If they cannot, or will not, we will still take whatever action is necessary to protect our country, especially if the government in question is complicit with the cartels."

Washington's threats prompted a response from Sheinbaum, who earlier this week said Mexico has intensified efforts to combat drug cartels and categorically rejected any foreign intervention on Mexican soil.

Sheinbaum said that since her administration stepped up operations against drug trafficking organizations and organized crime, intentional homicides in Mexico have fallen by nearly 50 percent. She also said authorities have dismantled and destroyed 2,500 laboratories linked to criminal groups, according to Milenio.

"No foreign power is going to tell Mexicans how we should govern ourselves," Sheinbaum said.