President-elect Donald Trump and his team are gearing up for military action inside Mexico, aiming to take down powerful drug cartel leaders. But many experts are raising serious concerns, warning that this bold plan might not work the way they hope.
Carolyn Gallaher, a professor at American University who specializes in guerrilla and paramilitary violence, is one of those skeptical experts. She points out that Mexico has already tried going to war with the cartels, and it ended in disaster. Taking out cartel leaders can trigger violent power struggles within the organizations, which only makes the situation worse.
“You need a new strategy,” Gallaher says. “Killing drug lords is an old, failed approach on both sides of the border.”
But it’s not just academics who are worried. Some former military officials, speaking anonymously, say the strategy feels eerily similar to the failed tactics the U.S. used in the War on Terror.
One former Marine puts it bluntly: “This sounds a lot like what we did in Afghanistan for 20 years, and we didn’t win there. What’s the goal here? What does victory even look like? We’re not fighting an army; we’re fighting poverty, desperation, and hopelessness.”
Another veteran adds, “It’s like Iraq all over again.”
The bottom line? Fighting cartels by focusing on taking out their leaders might just be the wrong approach. It could lead to more violence without solving the root issues. The question is: Can Trump’s team come up with a better plan? Only time will tell.
