President Donald Trump warned on Jan. 4 that drug traffickers in Colombia and Mexico could be facing action by the U.S. military, while predicting that Cuba’s communist regime is likely to fall, after precision U.S. airstrikes in Venezuela that led to the capture of its leader.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked whether the United States will pursue military actions against Colombia, to which he replied, “It sounds good to me.”
“Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you,” he said, seemingly referring to Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Trump also warned that the United States might have “to do something with Mexico” in regards to drug smuggling, saying that the country’s government is not doing enough to combat drug cartels.
“Mexico has to get their act together because they’re pouring through Mexico, and we’re going to have to do something,” he said. “We’d love Mexico to do it, they’re capable of doing it but unfortunately, the cartels are very strong in Mexico.”
Trump noted that he has offered U.S. troops to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum each time they have talked to help combat drug trafficking in Mexico, but despite her concern, Sheinbaum was “just not willing” and “a little afraid.”
When asked about possible military action in Cuba, Trump said that won’t be necessary as he expects the country to fall on its own as it now has no income.
“They got all of their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They’re not getting any of it,” the president said. “I think it’s just going to fall. I don’t think we need any action.”
Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba have strongly denounced the U.S. airstrikes that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their home in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, on Jan. 3 to face drug and arms-related charges in the United States.
Petro stated on X that Colombia opposes “any unilateral military action” that could escalate tensions in the region and put civilians at risk.
“Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace, built on the basis of mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the use and threat of force, so any military action seriously jeopardizes regional stability,” the ministry stated.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has condemned the U.S. operation as a “criminal attack” against Venezuela and called for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife. He accused the U.S. government of kidnapping Venezuela’s sitting president through a military operation.
Following Maduro’s capture over the weekend, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was named the country’s interim president by the country’s Supreme Court and recognized as such by military officials.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
