Trump has threatened to deploy U.S. ground forces to fight Mexican drug cartels if Mexico doesn't escalate its own crackdown, and the White House has formally prioritized cartel elimination in its new counterterrorism strategy. The threat comes amid rising drug trafficking and fentanyl flows, which the administration sees as a national security priority. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has not publicly agreed to broader U.S. military involvement, creating diplomatic tension between the two countries.