Declaring war on Mexican cartels is popular. That doesn’t mean it’s smart.

U.S. presidential campaigns usually aren’t focused on foreign policy — which is actually a blessing because, when they are, the result is often crazy talk. If you doubt that, consider the latest policy idea that has been endorsed in some form or another by almost all the front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination: effectively declaring war on Mexico’s drug cartels. Donald Trump plans to “wage war” and impose a “full naval embargo” on them. Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) says he wants to use “the world’s greatest military” to solve the problem. A recent poll found strong support for military action among GOP primary voters, so expect to see more such wild statements.

The problem that needs to be addressed is real and tragic. More than 70,000 people in the United States died from synthetic opioid overdoses in 2021, the last year for which we had data. The leading synthetic opioid is fentanyl, which is similar to but much more potent than heroin. These drugs are mostly made by cartels in Mexico. But the idea that using U.S. military force would solve the problem is delusional.

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