The United States may need to step up its efforts to address the influence of Mexican drug cartels if Mexico struggles to contain the issue, former Trump trade advisor Barry Bennett told Arabian Business, suggesting a more assertive stance on border security in Trump’s second term.
Trump has frequently highlighted the fentanyl crisis as a top priority, tying it closely to his broader agenda on border security and trade. In recent remarks, he announced plans for a large-scale public awareness campaign to educate Americans on the dangers of fentanyl.
“By the time the campaign is over, everyone will know how really bad the horror of this drug is,” the president-elect said in a social media post last week.
“If Mexico either can’t or won’t fix the cartel problem, the United States will have to do so,” Bennett, who advised Trump during his first administration and now leads consultancy firm Tactic, told Arabian Business.
The former advisor’s comments come as Trump announced plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexican imports when he takes office in January, linking trade policy directly to border security and drug trafficking concerns.
Bennett emphasised the scale of the fentanyl crisis driving this approach, noting its devastating impact can be tracked geographically.
“You can actually track on a map when a new batch of fentanyl comes into the country because you can track emergency room visits and people dying and it’s shocking,” Bennett said.
“80,000 Americans die every year of accidental fentanyl poisoning, all of that is done by the cartels and smuggled into our country.”
Bennett explained that fentanyl production involves a complex international supply chain.
“Fentanyl is made in China, shipped to Mexico and then mixed with other drugs and it’s smuggled at the border,” he said, noting the issue was “near and dear to my heart” following his sister’s death from fentanyl poisoning.
“Mexico has a problem in that a large portion of the country remains lawless, controlled by the cartels, and that’s got to be fixed,” Bennett said. “If they don’t have the ability or the political will to fix it, then Trump will have to fix it himself.”
The former trade advisor’s remarks suggest a potential expansion of Trump’s trade strategy beyond purely economic considerations. The president-elect has already threatened tariffs of up to 200 percent on vehicles crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I think what we’ve seen in just the last few days is really remarkable. Both Canada, who flew down to Mar a Lago, and Mexico, who had an emergency conversation on Wednesday about this, prove that Trump knows exactly how to get them to the table,” Bennett said.
Mexico accounted for 78-83 percent of its exports to the U.S. market in 2023, according to trade data, with total trade value between the two nations exceeding $745 billion last year. The proposed measures appear to contradict the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed in 2020.
“What we’ve seen in just the last few days is really remarkable. Both Canada, who flew down to Mar a Lago, and Mexico, who had an emergency conversation on Wednesday about this, prove that Trump knows exactly how to get them to the table,” Bennett said.
“I think the new Mexican president is a capable person but I’m not certain what is really within her power to fix and how far politically she’s willing to go to fix it but it will need to be fixed,” he added.
“Mexico does not produce weapons. We do not consume synthetic drugs,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in response to Trump’s claim last week.
“Unfortunately, what we do have is the people who are being killed by the crime that is responding to the demand in your country,” she added.
The public appears to support tough action, according to Bennett.
“You cannot underestimate the impact of 80,000 deaths a year are having on families across the country and everybody knows somebody who died from fentanyl poisoning and that number just continues to rise so the public is with Trump on this 90/10.”
Bennett highlighted that immigration issues are also part of the cartel problem.
“The immigration issues are also highly profitable for the cartels, that’s going to have to stop, and if they want to fix it, that’s great. I’m not certain they can, but if they can’t, we will.”
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