Republican presidential candidates' threats of U.S. strikes in Mexico spark concerns

Washington (AFP) - As the Republican race for the White House in 2024 ramps up, threats by the party's presidential candidates to launch military strikes on Mexico's drug cartels are being taken increasingly seriously, sparking worries on both sides of the border. In the party's election debate last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis -- a distant second in the polls to former president Donald Trump -- said that, if elected, he would send US forces in to dismantle Mexican drug labs "on day one." Shortly after the debate, DeSantis doubled down: "When I talk about using the military to take on t...