Trump Demands Mexico Deal With Cartels: “Take Care of Bad Hombres” Or U.S. Troops Will

One thing is for certain, a new sheriff is in town.

Well, the phrase is underwhelming given the enormous power now (unduly) vested in the executive branch. But President Trump’s stylings as an international negotiator and commander-in-chief harken back to a simpler and more brazen day from the Old West, and he isn’t just shaking hands and promising to work on nebulous issues of cooperation.

With promises to build a wall, scale back immigration, send back criminals and welfare dependents and cut off the parasitism from South of the border, President Trump is now demanding that the Mexico President, Pena Nieto – widely viewed as a weak leader – stop the cartels if he could. As the Associated Press reports:

President Donald Trump threatened in a phone call with his Mexican counterpart to send U.S. troops to stop “bad hombres down there” unless the Mexican military does more to control them, according to an excerpt of a transcript of the conversation obtained by The Associated Press.

“You have a bunch of bad hombres down there, and we’re going to get them out,” Trump told Pena Nieto, according to the excerpt given to AP. “You aren’t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.”

A person with access to the official transcript of the phone call provided only that portion of the conversation to The Associated Press. The person gave it on condition of anonymity because the administration did not make the details of the call public.

The report described Trump as humiliating Pena Nieto in a confrontational conversation.

Openly humiliating another world leader is not the path that the past several presidents have taken. So this is certainly news.

If this report is accurate (Mexico has officially denied it, but another Mexican press agency confirmed that something like this conversation took place), it is a whole new ball game. Sending U.S. troops to take on Mexican gang violence that has claimed that lives of tens of thousands and made true stability and prosperity south of the border absolutely impossible, would be completely unprecedented in the 20th or 21st Centuries, and after decades of officially friendly relations – setting things back to about 1850 when the two countries were last at war.

Of course, just the opposite has been offered from our neighbor to the South. Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs for Mexico, Jorge Castañeda Gutman, made a veiled threat on CNN to attack the U.S., supposing that if the U.S. ended the incentive for friendly cooperation, Mexico might unleash a new wave of cartel violence upon America – on purpose and with a vengeance.

Mexico has a lot of negotiating chips in this matter, Fareed, but it also has measures we could take in other areas. For example, the drugs that come through Mexico from South America, or the drugs that are produced here in Mexico all go to the United States. This is not our problem. We have been cooperating with the United States for many years on these issues because they’ve asked us to and because we have a friendly, trustful relationship. If that relationship disappears, the reasons for cooperation also disappear.

If anything can stop cartel violence, it may be an end to the drug war and prohibition, which has driven much of the illegal smuggling across borders, and a growing and heightened police state.

Short of that, U.S. troops, or special advisors might make a serious dent, but also risk blowback of counterinsurgency and war in the streets – not only in Mexico, but in the streets of America as well.

Let’s hope the best end surfaces quickly.

Avocados and other produce may skyrocket in price; day laborers may be forced back into their failing country and relations could deteriorate into outright hostility towards the gringo.

Trump is NOT willing to play friendly if playing friendly means congeniality in spite of a slap in the face to American interests. In his very first days, the new President-Sheriff has put Mexico, Iran, China and other players on notice, and has explicitly threatened to use American force to back up his tough words and straightforward demands.

For better or worse, this is something no president in memory or recent times has every attempted. We are in uncharted and very dangerous waters. Let us hope President Trump knows what he is doing.

The use of American troops is only meant as a last resort; but arguably, U.S.-Mexico relations are already there and Trump arrived at that point. Every other policy has failed for the past several decades.

How do you think things will play out?

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Trump Threatened To Send Troops To Mexico To Stop The "Bad Hombres Down There"

According to a transcript obtained by AP of the phone call which took place on Friday morning between President Trump and his Mexican counterpart, Enrique Pena Nieto, and which was intended to patch things up between the new president and his Mexican peer a day after Pena Nieto called off his visit to the US, Trump threatened to send U.S. troops to stop "bad hombres down there" unless the Mexican military does more to control them itself.

The excerpt of the call did not make clear who exactly Trump considered "bad hombres," - drug cartels, immigrants, or both - or the tone and context of the remark, made in a Friday morning phone call between the leaders. It also did not contain Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto"s response. Nonetheless, the excerpt "offers a rare and striking look at how the new president is conducting diplomacy behind closed doors." As AP puts it, Trump"s remark suggest he is using the same tough and blunt talk with world leaders that he used to rally crowds on the campaign trail.

"You have a bunch of bad hombres down there," Trump told Pena Nieto, according to the excerpt seen by the AP. "You aren"t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn"t, so I just might send them down to take care of it." The phone call between the leaders was meant to diffuse the escalating tension between Trump and Pena Nieto. The two have had a series of public spats over Trump"s determination to have Mexico pay for the planned border wall, something Mexico steadfastly refuses to agree to.

A person with access to the official transcript of the phone call provided an excerpt to The Associated Press. The person gave it on condition of anonymity because the administration did not make the details of the call public. A Mexican reporter"s similar account of Trump"s comments was published on a Mexican website Tuesday. The reports described Trump as humiliating Pena Nieto in a confrontation conversation.

As Business Insider further adds, citing an interview between the Mexican news outlet Aristegui Noticias and Dolia Estevez, a journalist based in Washington, DC, who cited sources on both sides of the call, "It was a very offensive conversation where Trump humiliated Peña Nieto."

"I don"t need the Mexicans. I don"t need Mexico," Trump reportedly told the Mexican president. "We are going to build the wall and you all are going to pay for it, like it or not."

Trump hinted that the US would force Mexico to fund the wall with a 10% tax on Mexican exports "and of 35% on those exports that hurt Mexico the most," Estevez wrote in Proyecto Puente.

"He even complained of the bad role the [Mexican] army is playing in the fight against narco trafficking," Estevez, who writes for Forbes and is close to the Mexican journalist and anchorwoman Carmen Aristegui, said during an interview with Aristegui"s eponymous news outlet. Trump "even suggested to [Peña Nieto] that if they are incapable of combatting [narco trafficking] he may have to send troops to assume this task," she said.

The US president "said he would not permit the drugs coming from Mexico to continue massacring our cities," Estevez added. She said Trump went so far as to say, "I really didn"t want to go to Mexico last August," referring to Trump"s visit to the Mexican capital last year.

Peña Nieto was accompanied on the call by people from his country"s foreign ministry, while Trump was joined by "the famous son-in-law," likely meaning senior adviser Jared Kushner, and chief strategist Steven Bannon. Kushner is reportedly close to Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, and they were seen as the likely go-betweens for the two governments. 

"Before this unusual onslaught, Peña was not firm," Estevez said. "He was stammering."

This is where the AP"s transcript comes in to fill in the remaining blanks.

* * *

As expected, Mexico"s foreign relations department denied that account, saying it "is based on absolute falsehoods." The reason is obvious: if accurate, it shows just how little leverage the Mexican president has, if he allows Trump to talk in such a manner.

"The assertions that you make about said conversation do not correspond to the reality of it," the statement said. "The tone was constructive and it was agreed by the presidents to continue working and that the teams will continue to meet frequently to construct an agreement that is positive for Mexico and for the United States."

Trump has used the phrase "bad hombres" before. In an October presidential debate, he vowed to get rid the U.S. of "drug lords" and "bad people." "We have some bad hombres here, and we"re going to get them out," he said. The phrase ricocheted on social media with Trump opponents saying he was denigrating immigrants.

Trump"s comment was in line with the new administration"s bullish stance on foreign policy matters in general, and the president"s willingness to break long-standing norms around the globe.

While prior to his inauguration, Trump irritated China when he spoke to the president of Taiwan, breaking long-standing U.S. policy, and his temporary ban on refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries caused consternation around the world, nothing has created the level of bickering as the border wall, a centerpiece of his campaign. Mexico has consistently said it would not pay for the wall and opposes it. Before the phone call, Pena Nieto canceled a planned visit to the United States.

The fresh fight with Mexico last week arose over trade as the White House proposed a 20 percent tax on imports from the key U.S. ally to finance the wall after Pena Nieto abruptly scrapped his Jan. 31 trip to Washington.

Trump has since tasked his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner - a real estate executive with no foreign policy experience - with managing the ongoing dispute, according to an administration official with knowledge of the call. At a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May last week, Trump described his call with Pena Nieto as "friendly."

A White House spokesman did not respond to the AP"s requests seeking a comment if Trump indeed threatened to invade Mexico.

Pena Nieto Tells Trump Mexico "Will Not Pay For Any Wall", Demands Respect

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto reiterated Wednesday in a pre-taped address that his country "will not pay for any wall," but expressed willingness to work with the Trump administration.

Peña Nieto also said he had ordered government agencies to step up protection for immigrants, demanding respect as an autonomous nation, while admitting Mexico is negotiating new trade rules with US.

"I have ordered the Foreign Ministry re-enforce measures of protection for our nationals (inside the US).  The 50 Mexican consulates in the United States will become authentic places of defense for the rights of the migrants.  Our communities are not alone.  The Mexican government will offer them the legal counsel which will guarantee them the protection they need.  I call on the legislators and civil society organisations to join their efforts so as to back them and support them (migrants). Wherever there is a Mexican migrant at risk that needs our support there we must be.  That is where there country should be."

"I am saddened and am against the decision by the United States to continue with the construction of a wall that for years, far from joining us has divided us.  Mexico does not believe in walls.   I have said time and time again: Mexico will not pay for any wall."

"These Executive orders also occur at a moment in which our country is initiating talks to negotiate new rules of cooperation, commerce, investment, security, immigration in the North American region.  This negotiation is very important for strength, certainty, and future of of our economy and our society.  As President of the Republic, I assume, squarely, the responsibility of defending and guarding the interests of Mexico and Mexicans.  It is my duty to deal with the problems and confront the challenges.  Based on the final report of the Mexican officials that at this moment are in Washington and the prior consultation of the Senate chamber and the National Conference of Governors (Mexican), I will make a decision about the next steps to be taken. "

"Mexico offers and demands respect. "

Finally, the Mexican president didn"t say whether he will carry out planned visit to Washington on Jan. 31.

While the costs of "building the wall" are largely unknown, estimates have been made by both political parties...

You will find more statistics at Statista

In a Monday speech, Peña Nieto said his government is prepared to negotiate with the US if Mexico"s national sovereignty is respected. He laid out economic integration and respect for the rights of migrants and the money they send home as his nation"s key negotiating points.

Trump has suggested some of the $25 billion in annual remittances that migrants return home would be retained to pay for the border wall.

Canadian Official On NAFTA Renegotiation: "Mexico Is In A Terrible, Terrible Position. We Are Not"

As reported yesterday, Mexico is not at all looking forward to starting the process of renegotiating NAFTA with Donald Trump, explicitly warning the US that "there are very clear red lines that must be drawn from the start." What these lines are will be explained by Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo and Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray who are both meeting with US officials in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday, setting the stage with next week"s visit from Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Only, Enrique Pena Nieto may not even come, because according to an AP report late on Wednesday, the Mexican President is rethinking his scheduled meeting with President Trump next week. Peña Nieto may scrap the planned Jan. 31 huddle because of Trump’s executive order authorizing the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, AP added. The AP confirmed with a Mexican official in Mexico City that Peña Nieto is “considering” cancelling the rendezvous.

And while subsequently Bloomberg reported that Nieto will visit the US as planned after all, the fury in Mexico is palpable and the Mexico News Daily reported that Trump’s border wall order sparked fierce backlash among Mexican lawmakers. The National Action Party’s Margareta Zavala called Trump’s order “an offense to Mexico” ahead of Peña Nieto’s trip. Jorge Castaneda, who served as secretary under former Mexican President Vicente Fox, also blasted the measure Wednesday. “This is an insult to those Mexican officials, to the president of Mexico and to all Mexicans,” he said, referencing two Mexican officials who met Trump administration staff on Wednesday.

“It’s a way of making them negotiate under threat, under insults, and it should lead Peña Nieto to cancel his trip next week,” Castaneda added during a television interview. "Peña [Nieto] is a weak president in a weak country at a weak moment, but he has to find a way to get some official backbone.”

* * *

But while Mexico"s anger at the US is understandable, maybe the US" southern neighbor should be just as angry at the country that border the US to the north: the third member of NAFTA, Canada.

Canada will focus on preserving its U.S. trade ties during talks to renegotiate NAFTA and may not be able to help Mexico avoid being targeted by the Trump administration, Canadian government sources say.

"We love our Mexican friends. But our national interests come first and the friendship comes second," a source said on the sidelines of a cabinet retreat in Calgary, Alberta. "The two are not mutually exclusive," the source added.

In other words, when it comes to preserving NAFTA, it"s important, but what is more important is being on good enough terms with Trump to be able to cobble together a bilateral treaty should NAFTA fail.

As Reuters reports, the comments are some of the starkest yet by Canadian officials, "who are increasingly convinced Mexico will suffer the most damage from changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement."

* * *

Of course, the reason why both Mexico and Canada are on edge, and why their superficial friendship is about to collapse, is because on Sunday Trump said he planned talks soon to begin renegotiating NAFTA, under which Canada and Mexico send most of their exports to the United States. The Canadian sources stress Ottawa has not taken any final decision on how to approach the NAFTA talks, since Trump"s opening stance is largely unknown.

For now the government"s official stance is to dismiss the idea that Canada will formally abandon Mexico. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday that Canada supported NAFTA as a trilateral agreement and noted that Trudeau had talked to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto over the weekend.

That said, Reuters" government sources note Mexico and Canada would appear to have little in common. Trump is unhappy about the large U.S. deficit with Mexico and has promised to punish firms with manufacturing bases there. "Our negotiating positions are totally different. Mexico is being hung out of an skyscraper window by its feet," said a second government source."Mexico is in a terrible, terrible position. We are not," said another Canadian person involved on the trade file.

Bilateral trade is critical for Canada, which sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States. Statistics Canada data for 2015 show two-way trade in goods with the United States totaled C$760 billion ($580 billion) compared to just C$26 billion with Mexico. Canada has a "very special status" and is unlikely to be hit hard by changes to NAFTA, the head of a business advisory council to Trump said on Monday.

And the punchline: Derek Burney, a former Canadian ambassador to Washington, told CTV News on Monday that Canada should distance itself from Mexico on NAFTA. "We have security agreements, both continental and multi-lateral -- Mexico does not. Mexico has a huge border problem with the United States in terms of immigration and drugs -- Canada does not," he said.

Officials familiar with diplomatic contacts between Mexico and Canada say there has been no talk of creating a joint front against the United States over NAFTA on the grounds that such a move would raise tensions and be counterproductive.

And that - by dividing and conquering his counterparts who are too afraid to unite against him - is how Trump"s "negotiating victory" is assured before the negotiations have even begun.