Mexico doesn't seem too happy with Trump's plan to label cartels terrorist organizations

Mexico President. — (Image credit: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

President Trump appears to have the Mexican government on edge.

Trump on Tuesday told former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly in an interview that he's ready to move ahead with plans to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. He didn't give any precise information like a timetable for the designation or an idea of how the U.S. would alter its plan against the cartels, but he did sound adamant about the fact that it's going to happen.

Mexico's leaders were not thrilled with the news. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that, while he hopes to continue transnational cooperation with Washington as the two countries try to rein in the cartels, he won't support full-on American intervention. Obrador said he'll take up the issue with the U.S. after the Thanksgiving holiday and is reportedly planning to send Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard to lead the talks.

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Ebrard weighed in on the issue Wednesday, as well, saying he will not put Mexico in any situation where its sovereignty is at risk. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.