President Trump just confirmed his willingness to launch strikes against the drug cartels inside of Mexico. Up until now, strikes against the cartels have only targeted dangerous drug boats carrying illegal narcotics. These strikes have been tremendously successful, lowering the drugs coming in through waterways by a whopping 85% so far. But, when pressed by a reporter in the Oval Office today, President Trump said that if it came down to it, he’d be “proud” to strike on land, as well.

“Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It’s OK With Me! Whatever we have to do.”
“I didn’t say I’m DOING it… but I’d be proud to do it. We’d save millions of lives.”
“Would I do it on land? I absolutely – look, every boat we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives. Not to mention the DESTRUCTION of families!”
“Mexico…some big problems over there. If we had to, would we do there, what we did in the waterways? There’s almost NO DRUGS coming through the waterways. Down like 85%. I don’t know who the 15% are!”

Note that President Trump didn’t say he is definitely going to order strikes on Mexico. But, he is open to the possibility. Earlier this month, a report came out indicating that the Trump administration has begun drawing up plans for strikes inside of Mexico. The early stages of training for the potential mission, which would include ground operations inside Mexico, has already begun, the two current U.S. officials said. But a deployment to Mexico is not imminent, the two U.S. officials said. Discussions about the scope of the mission are ongoing, and a final decision has not been made, the two current U.S. officials said.

The U.S. troops, many of whom would be from Joint Special Operations Command, would operate under the authority of the U.S. intelligence community, known as Title 50 status, the two current officials said. They said officers from the CIA also would participate. A U.S. mission using American forces to hit drug cartel targets inside Mexico would open a new front in President Donald Trump’s military campaign against drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere. So far, the administration has focused on Venezuela and conducting strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats.

If the mission is given the final green light, the administration plans to maintain secrecy around it and not publicize actions associated with it, as it has with recent bombings of suspected drug-smuggling boats, the two current and two former U.S. officials said. “The Trump administration is committed to utilizing an all-of-government approach to address the threats cartels pose to American citizens,” a senior administration official said in response to this story. The CIA declined to comment. The Pentagon referred questions to the White House.

Under the new mission being planned, U.S. troops in Mexico would mainly use drone strikes to hit drug labs and cartel members and leaders, the two current U.S. officials and two former U.S. officials said. Some of the drones that special forces would use require operators to be on the ground to use them effectively and safely, the officials said. Would you support striking inside Mexico to eliminate the cartels?