Opinion

If Trump wants to smash Mexican cartels, he's got history and law on his side

Historical precedent from Barbary Pirates to Pancho Villa shows presidents have broad military powers to protect Americans

By Chad R. Mizelle Fox News

Published February 27, 2026 5:00am EST

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Former cartel kingpin predicts ‘attacks on government officials’ after ‘El Mencho’s’ death

Former cartel kingpin Margarito ‘Jay’ Flores Jr. discusses violence and chaos in Mexico after the death of drug lord ‘El Mencho’ on ‘The Will Cain Show.’

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With Puerto Vallarta and the state of Jalisco under siege from the cartels, American policymakers need to know that President Donald Trump would be on strong legal ground if he chooses to hit the cartels in Mexico or anywhere in the world.

Over the last four decades, the drug cartels have transported tens of thousands of military-age men over our borders, many of them carrying weapons of mass destruction like fentanyl or carfentanil. This isn’t "migration." It’s an invasion, and, under the Constitution, the president not only has the authority, but the duty to act.

Though the drug cartels are non-state actors, they effectively control roughly one-third of Mexican territory, exerting quasi-sovereignty by extracting "taxes," controlling the movement of people, and intimidating and extorting government into doing their will.

Trump has done what no president in decades could do: he secured the southern border and stopped the massive influx of illegal aliens and dangerous drugs. But is America required to stand back and wait for criminals to cross our borders in order to defend itself? Of course not. There is ample precedent for presidents using........

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