U.S. Lawmakers Warn Trump Against Mexico Military Action

Washington, D.C. — Diplomatic tension between the administration of President Donald Trump and Mexico reached a high point following the president’s statements about the possibility of unilateral intervention. A group of 75 U.S. legislators has issued a formal letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing an unauthorized military action within Mexican territory as “disastrous,” arguing that it would destroy trust and directly affect U.S. interests.

Binational Warning: A Military Action Would Be “Disastrous”

On January 10, 2026, the public learned the content of the letter signed by 75 U.S. legislators who express their strong opposition both to the unauthorized use of military force in Venezuela and to the threats made by President Donald Trump about a military action within Mexico without authorization from Congress or the consent of the neighboring country.

The document directly points out that President Trump falsely claimed that he could legally order a military action against Mexico without having approval from the U.S. Congress. This statement stems from an interview on Fox News in which Trump had asserted that “the cartels are controlling Mexico… we have to do something.”

Additionally, the congress members cite another interview granted on December 9, 2025 to Politico, where when questioned about whether he would consider taking military measures in Mexico, the president responded emphatically: “Of course. I would do it.”

“A unilateral military action against Mexico would be disastrous,” warns the legislators’ letter, emphasizing that any movement of this nature would violate Mexico’s sovereignty and put decades of binational cooperation at risk.

The Consequences of Violating Mexico’s Sovereignty

The 75 U.S. congress members warn that Mexico is the number one trading partner of the United States, in addition to being a critical security partner, with which family and border ties are shared. A unilateral action would immediately damage the new era of cooperation that President Claudia Sheinbaum has initiated.

The Economic and Labor Cost

The impact of a military action on U.S. commercial interests would be far-reaching and quantifiable, according to the information presented by the legislators.

• Foreign direct investment in Mexico exceeded 14.5 billion dollars in 2025.
• More than one million U.S. jobs are linked to cross-border trade.
• More than 5 million jobs in the United States depend directly on trade with Mexico.

The Setback in Shared Security

The potential U.S. military incursion into Mexico would also undermine decades of effort focused on addressing shared security interests, particularly those related to transnational criminal organizations that traffic weapons, illicit drugs, people, and other products across the border.

In the last 20 years, the United States has launched programs to support Mexican progress in areas critical to combating the fentanyl supply chain, such as:

• Strengthening the rule of law.
• Limiting chemical precursors.
• Fighting corruption and limiting financial flows.
• Strengthening enforcement at ports of entry.

The Progress of the New Era of Cooperation

The congress members highlight that, under the presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico has dramatically increased its cooperation with the United States. They specifically point to the achievements of the Mexican government in 2025 as proof of this progress:

• Historic extraditions: In February, Mexico extradited 29 people sought by the United States for alleged links to cartels; this was one of the largest extraditions in the country’s history. In August, the second major extradition of the year was carried out, transferring 26 inmates suspected of having important roles in cartels.
• Fight against organized crime: The government has strengthened intelligence for the fight against organized crime, overseen the largest seizure of fentanyl in Mexico’s history, and worked with the Legislature to prohibit the production, distribution, and acquisition of fentanyl and its chemical precursors.
• Reduction of violence: Homicide levels have been significantly reduced.

Although there is no doubt that Mexico still faces political and rule of law challenges, the congress members argue that U.S. policy must recognize this renewed progress and the fact that bilateral cooperation is increasing Mexico’s enforcement capacity and achieving results.

Geopolitical Implications and Mexico’s Response

The legislators conclude their letter with a clear warning: any unilateral military action by the United States within Mexico without the latter’s consent would destroy trust, damage cooperation with Mexican authorities, and make it difficult to keep drugs out of the communities they represent.

They urged the Donald Trump administration to commit to not undertaking unilateral and kinetic actions that could violate sovereignty, increase migratory flow as Mexicans seek security, disrupt businesses that support large parts of the U.S. economy, or undermine progress in security.

On the regional geopolitical plane, it is noted that the U.S. leader met at the White House with executives of oil companies to request support for his plans in Venezuela.

In the face of the crisis, President Claudia Sheinbaum instructed her team — specifically De la Fuente — to reinforce bilateral work with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and is considering speaking about the issue with her U.S. counterpart. While diplomacy attempts to manage the pressure, Mexico maintains its international activity, as demonstrated by the arrival in Cuba of a ship from Coatzacoalcos on January 5, with 85,000 barrels of crude oil, an operation that, according to specialists, will face pressure to cut off the supply.

Unilateral military actions in the region have only proven to be counterproductive throughout history. Is the White House willing to sacrifice the most important trading relationship of the United States and nullify the security advances achieved in recent decades for a promise of military force that could generate an unprecedented migratory crisis? Specialized journalism must closely follow the response of Secretary Rubio and Congress.