Another America-First Warning: Invading Mexico Would Be a National Disaster

Why using the cartels as an excuse for war would hurt the United States most

By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News

Some of the same voices cheering Trump’s talk about Greenland are now floating an even worse idea: invading Mexico to “take out the cartels.” It sounds tough. It sounds simple. And it would be one of the most damaging mistakes the United States could make in the modern era.

If you believe in America First, this is where you stop and think.

Let’s walk through what actually happens, step by step.

Step 1: The U.S. invades a neighboring country with 130 million people.
Mexico is not a failed state. It is a sovereign nation, a major trading partner, and America’s closest neighbor. Crossing the border with U.S. troops—without Mexico’s consent—would be an act of war. No legal spin changes that.

Step 2: The cartels don’t disappear. They adapt.
Cartels are not standing armies. They don’t line up for battles. They melt into cities, towns, and neighborhoods. An invasion wouldn’t “wipe them out.” It would spread violence, push cartel activity deeper into civilian areas, and turn every operation into an urban nightmare.

Step 3: U.S. troops get stuck policing cities, not fighting enemies.
This is the part the hotheads never explain. Soldiers would end up doing raids, checkpoints, and patrols in Mexican cities. That means civilian casualties, endless accusations of abuse, and a constant propaganda win for criminal groups and foreign adversaries alike.

Step 4: The border explodes instead of calming down.
War doesn’t reduce migration. It increases it. An invasion would push millions of civilians north, overwhelm border infrastructure, and create chaos far worse than anything we’ve seen so far. If your concern is border control, this is how you lose it completely.

Step 5: The U.S. economy takes a direct hit.
Mexico is one of America’s largest trading partners. Cars, food, electronics, medical supplies—all move across that border every day. War would break supply chains overnight, raise prices, and hit American workers first. “America First” doesn’t mean “America pays more for everything.”

Step 6: Latin America turns against the United States.
An invasion of Mexico would echo across the entire region. Governments that cooperate with the U.S. on security would pull back. Intelligence sharing would collapse. America would look less like a partner and more like an occupying power. That vacuum doesn’t stay empty—China and Russia would rush in.

Step 7: Cartels gain legitimacy they don’t deserve.
Nothing helps criminal groups like being able to say, “We’re fighting a foreign invader.” An invasion would turn cartels into nationalist symbols in some communities, making them harder—not easier—to defeat.

Step 8: America becomes what it claims to oppose.
For decades, the U.S. has argued that borders matter and sovereignty matters. Invading Mexico would shred that argument forever. Every future complaint about international law would be met with one answer: You did it first.

Here’s the part that matters most.

The United States already works with Mexico against the cartels. Law enforcement cooperation, financial tracking, intelligence sharing, and joint operations—those are the tools that actually weaken criminal networks. War is not a shortcut. It’s a trap.

If Trump leads the country into Mexico, America doesn’t look strong. It looks reckless, angry, and out of control. U.S. troops get bogged down. The border collapses. Prices rise. Allies disappear. Criminal groups adapt and survive.

This isn’t toughness. It’s self-harm.

If you supported Trump because you wanted stability, security, and a stronger United States, then you need to start re-examining who you’re following—and where they’re trying to take you.

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References (APA)

Council on Foreign Relations. (2023). U.S.–Mexico security cooperation and cartel violence.

Drug Enforcement Administration. (2024). National Drug Threat Assessment.

Pew Research Center. (2023). U.S. public views on immigration, border security, and military force.

U.S. Department of State. (2022). U.S.–Mexico bilateral relations.

United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). (2020).