Cartels fear US retaliation as Trump-era pressure reshapes strategy: 'They fear the United States'

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Former Acting DEA Administrator Derek Maltz weighs in on President Donald Trump's vow of 'lethal military force' against cartels and narco-terrorists and the formation of a counter-cartel coalition with Latin American nations. MEXICO CITY: Mexican drug cartels are increasingly calculated in their targeting decisions, often avoiding deliberately attacking American tourists and citizens out of concern it could prompt intensified U.S. retaliation, according to experts. Following last month's killing of Ruben "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the powerful leader of the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joined "Fox & Friends" and had a warning for the drug gangs: "The Mexican drug cartels know not to lay a finger on a single American, or they will pay severe consequences under this