A group of 75 Democratic US lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 9, 2026, firmly opposing any unilateral military action against cartels in Mexico without the Mexican government's consent. They warned that such a move would violate Mexico's sovereignty, destroy bilateral cooperation, and have severe economic and security repercussions. The letter responds to recent statements by President Donald Trump about attacking cartels on the ground.
On January 9, 2026, 75 Democratic congress members sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressing their 'firm opposition to a unilateral military action in Mexico without Mexico's consent and congressional authorization.' The effort was led by Representative Greg Stanton of Arizona, Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Joaquín Castro, head of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee.
The letter comes in response to recent statements by Donald Trump. On January 8, in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump said his administration would begin to 'attack on the ground' the cartels. Earlier, on January 3 on Fox News, he stated that the US 'has to do something' about the cartels that 'run Mexico,' and on January 9, he affirmatively responded to Politico about potential actions.
The lawmakers emphasized that Mexico is a key partner in trade and security. US direct investment in Mexico exceeded $14.5 billion in 2025, linking over one million US jobs to border trade and five million to exchange with Mexico. They acknowledged progress under President Claudia Sheinbaum, such as the extradition of 55 people linked to cartels in 2025, including 29 in February and 26 in August, homicide reductions, and Mexico's largest fentanyl seizure in history.
'Any unilateral military action by the United States inside Mexico without Mexico's consent would destroy trust, dismantle cooperation with Mexican authorities, and make it harder to keep drugs out of the communities we represent,' they wrote. They warned that an incursion would undermine decades of efforts against transnational criminal organizations, could increase migration, and harm North American supply chains. Instead, they urged strengthening bilateral cooperation, which is 'producing results'.
