🔗 Share this article

Mexico's President Sheinbaum has firmly denied allegations that the US government is considering to deploy troops into the country to confront powerful cartels, emphasizing that she has repeatedly declined such proposals from President Trump.

“It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum declared during her daily morning news conference on that day. “We do not agree to any process of interventionism or external interference.”

Context on the Reports

The President's remarks come after a report quoting current and former US officials that the US government has started planning for a operation to deploy American military personnel and agents into Mexico.

The report indicated that although the operation was not imminent and no final decision had been made, the early stages of training had already begun along with talks about the extent of the deployment.

Additionally, the account mentioned that US troops would function under the jurisdiction of the American spy agencies, and that personnel from the CIA would also participate.

The Nation's Response

But Sheinbaum was adamant that her nation had “lack of details” about such a proposed incursion, although she acknowledged that in phone calls with the US president, he had offered to dispatch troops and other assistance to confront organized crime.

“I’ve always said thank you very much, President Trump. But absolutely not, our country is a independent, sovereign and sovereign country,” Sheinbaum affirmed.

Past Cooperation and Present Tensions

The two nations have historically worked together in addressing drug-trafficking groups, with the US at times dispatching intelligence, armed forces and Drug Enforcement Administration operatives to support the country's efforts to fight criminal networks.

But the entry of American military into Mexico to engage with the cartels, especially without Mexico's consent, would be an unheard-of step that would likely fracture an already tenuous partnership between the two countries.

Recent Measures and Agreements

The Trump administration has made confronting criminal organizations a central pillar of its international strategy: in February, the US classified multiple drug cartels as terrorist groups.

It has also initiated a series of attacks against alleged drug-trafficking boats, including striking vessels in the eastern Pacific that killed 14 alleged traffickers in late October.

Although Mexico rescued a survivor from the strike, the President condemned the strikes and instructed officials from her government to discuss them with the US ambassador to the nation.

On Tuesday, she also highlighted that Mexico had reached a security agreement with the US that was discussed over an extended period.

“We will proceed within this framework of understanding, which has defined guidelines … which respects our sovereignty and our territoriality.”

Sheinbaum's Position on Anti-Narcotics Approach

The national leader has also seemed less enthusiastic on militarised drug combat strategies than her preceding leaders: on the previous day, she dismissed any changes to the nation's safety approach despite the murder of a mayor in western Mexico.

“There are demands for militarization and armed conflict, as occurred with the anti-drug campaign,” she commented. “That didn’t work.”