Mexican former President Vicente Fox said his successor’s military crackdown on drug cartels is a “useless war” and recommended exploring other avenues, including legalization.

“Mexico must urgently get out of this trap we’re in,” Fox said here Wednesday in a meeting with foreign correspondents.

According to Fox, Mexico is sandwiched between producer nations such as Colombia and the world’s largest consumer of illegal drugs, the United States, and is therefore “paying an enormous price” in its fight against the country’s numerous heavily armed drug mobs.