The Trump administration is intensifying its push on Mexico to crack down on drug cartels after assisting in a weekend operation that killed one of the country’s most notorious cartel leaders.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the administration is actively coordinating with and pressing Mexican authorities to take stronger action to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.
“We are coordinating and cooperating and pushing the Mexican government to do more to end the scourge of deadly drugs coming through our United States Southern border, which of course is now secure thanks to President Trump as well,” Leavitt said during an appearance on Fox News.
The comments came after a Sunday strike that eliminated longtime Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes during an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Leavitt credited President Donald Trump’s leadership for the outcome.
“That would not have happened without the leadership of President Trump,” she said. “He has made it a day one priority to target and go after these vicious drug cartels that have shipped deadly poison to our country for far too long.”
Leavitt pointed to Trump’s decision to designate some of Mexico’s most notorious cartels as terrorist organizations, as well as the administration’s dozens of military strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, as part of the broader effort to dismantle trafficking networks.
In the aftermath of Sunday’s operation, cartel members reportedly torched buses and cars and set up roadblocks in several popular vacation destinations frequented by American tourists. The unrest prompted swift warnings from U.S. officials.
The State Department urged American citizens to “shelter in place” if they were in the Mexican state of Jalisco — including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara — as well as in Tamaulipas along the Texas border and parts of Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo León.
Airlines from the United States and Canada quickly canceled flights out of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, stranding tourists as security concerns mounted.
American tourist Jim Beck, who said he has visited Puerto Vallarta “for almost twenty years,” told CNN that this was the first time he had been “actually terrified” while in the area.
“We saw people running down the streets, running from the flames and stuff and the fire,” Beck said. “And we ran back to the hotel and then that’s when they got the shelter in order place and we’ve been here all day.”
“It’s been pretty scary,” he added, describing locals taking shelter alongside tourists. “It’s been quite surreal knowing this warm, wonderful place that we come to visit a couple times a year is in lockdown and just terrifying for all the people.”
Despite the violence, Leavitt said the administration is “unaware of any reports of any Americans being hurt, kidnapped, or killed.” She also delivered a blunt warning to cartel elements.
“The Mexican drug cartels know not to lay a finger on a single American or they will pay severe consequences under this president,” she said.
To assist Americans affected by the unrest, the State Department has established 24/7 phone lines for those stranded in Mexico, Leavitt noted.
As the administration continues to highlight its aggressive approach, officials say the message to Mexico is clear: cooperation is expected, and the fight against deadly drugs flowing into the United States remains a top priority.
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