During the first Republican presidential candidate debate Governor Ron DeSantis said he would use U.S. military special forces inside of Mexico to help stem the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl into the United States.
While this kind of rhetoric — the idea of using the U.S. military in a sovereign foreign nation to combat illicit drug production and distribution — might seem shocking, it’s not entirely new for a political candidate or even a sitting president to say something along these lines, but rather goes back decades.
But, times have changed and trying to combat the production and importation of synthetic drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine is arguably far more difficult than plant-based drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. And, the U.S. relationship with Mexico — and the perspective of the Mexican government on the War on Drugs — have also changed.
To get some context we sit down with Dr. Rick Coughlin, he’s an Associate Professor of Political Science at Florida Gulf Coast University who focuses on Mexican politics and culture.
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