On the campaign trail, U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies consistently portrayed Mexican drug cartels as national security threats to the United States, advocating for direct U.S. kinetic operations against these groups. Trump echoed this sentiment during his first address to Congress of his second term in March, declaring that ''cartels [were] waging war in America'' and that it was ''time for America to wage war on the cartels.'' However, there are signs that he and members of his administration remain undecided on whether to conduct unilateral armed operations against cartels without Mexico's permission. In February, The New York Times reported that White House officials were split on the issue, with one side allegedly urging caution due to fears of undermining cooperation with the Mexican government on illegal migration, and the other side advocating for a harder-line approach, including the use of force against cartel leaders.