STORY: U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (November 17) said he would launch strikes against Mexico if it would stop drugs from being trafficked into the United States.

"Okay with me, whatever we have to do to stop drugs," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump made the comments following an announcement by the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COMMENTING ON MEXICO FOLLOWING WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE ON FIFA WORLD CUP IN THE OVAL OFFICE

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 17, 2025) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - Access all)

1. U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN OVAL OFFICE WITH WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE ON THE FIFA WORLD CUP

2. REPORTERS

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“Would I launch strikes on Mexico to stop drugs? It's okay with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs, Mexico is… Look, I looked at Mexico City over the weekend. There's some big problems over there. If we had to, would we do there, what we have done to the waterways? You know, there's almost no drugs coming into our waterways anymore. Isn't it down like 85%?”

U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM SAYING [OFF CAMERA]: “It is, sir.”

TRUMP: “I don't know who the 15% would be. It wouldn’t be you… I think it's been…”

NOEM: “Tons and tons.”

TRUMP: “You would say that's a big signal?”

NOEM: “Absolutely.”

TRUMP: “We have almost no drugs coming into our country by the sea, by, you know, the waterways. And you know why? Okay. I mean, it's pretty obvious. Would I do that on the land corridor? I would, absolutely. Look, every boat we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives. Not to mention the destruction of families.”

4. REPORTERS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: [IN RESPONSE TO QUESTION IF HE WOULD GET MEXICO’S PERMISSION TO STRIKE]

“I wouldn’t answer that question. I've, I've been speaking to Mexico. They know how I stand. We're losing hundreds of thousands of people to drugs. So now we've stopped the waterways. But we know every route. We know every route. We know the addresses of every drug lord. We know their address. We know their front door. We know everything about every one of them. They're killing our people. That's like a war. Would I do it? I'd be proud to. I'd probably go into Congress and say, Hey, and you know what? The Democrats and the Republicans would both agree unless they're crazy.”

6. WIDE OF TRUMP AT DESK IN OVAL OFFICE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“We have lost hundreds of thousands of people a year. Death. And that's not talking about family destruction. It’s talking about death. And much of it comes through Mexico. So let me just put it this way. I am not happy with Mexico, ok.”

8. END OF PRESSER