A new war next door? The case against U.S. military strikes in Mexico

On July 17, 2025, Senior Research Fellow Colin P. Clarke joined an online event ‘A new war next door? The case against U.S. military strikes in Mexico’ hosted by Defense Priorities. Some U.S. policymakers have proposed using military force as a remedy against cartel violence and the impacts of organized crime on Americans. From airstrikes on cartel infrastructure to special operations raids across the border, these proposals aim to confront transnational criminal networks with U.S. military power. Other experts included Dr. Aileen Teague, assistant professor at Texas A&M University’s Bush School and Daniel DePetris, fellow at Defense Priorities. The session was moderated by Dr. Jennifer Kavanagh.