Mexican Leader Sheinbaum Denies Claims of US Military Intervention in Mexico
The nation's President Claudia Sheinbaum has categorically rejected allegations that the United States is considering to deploy military forces into the country to combat dominant drug trafficking organizations, emphasizing that she has consistently declined such proposals from President Trump.
“This will not occur,” the President declared during her regular news conference on Tuesday. “We do not agree to any process of interference or interventionism.”
Context on the Reports
Sheinbaum's remarks come after a news story quoting present and past American authorities that the Trump administration has started planning for a mission to send US troops and agents into Mexico.
This information indicated that although the mission was not immediate and no final decision had been made, the initial phases of preparation had commenced along with talks about the scope of the operation.
Furthermore, the account stated that US troops would function under the jurisdiction of the US intelligence community, and that officers from the CIA would also participate.
Mexico's Response
But the Mexican leader was insistent that her country had “no information” about such a proposed intervention, although she admitted that in phone calls with the US president, he had offered to dispatch troops and additional resources to confront organized crime.
“I’ve always said thank you very much, Mr. Trump. But no, Mexico is a independent, sovereign and sovereign country,” the President declared.
Historical Cooperation and Present Strains
The two nations have long collaborated in tackling cartels, with the US at times sending CIA, armed forces and DEA operatives to assist Mexico's efforts to fight criminal networks.
But the incursion of US troops into the territory to directly confront the drug lords, especially without the nation's agreement, would be an unprecedented move that would almost certainly fracture an already tenuous bilateral relationship.
Latest Actions and Agreements
The US government has designated addressing drug-trafficking groups a central pillar of its international strategy: in last winter, the US designated six Mexican cartels as terrorist groups.
Additionally, it has launched a series of attacks against suspected narco vessels, most recently striking vessels in the eastern Pacific that resulted in the deaths of 14 alleged traffickers in late October.
Although authorities saved a survivor from the attack, the President criticized the strikes and instructed representatives from her administration to address them with the American envoy to the nation.
On that day, she also noted that Mexico had reached a security agreement with the US that was negotiated over an extended period.
“We are going to continue working within this framework of understanding, which has very clear principles … which respects our independence and our territoriality.”
Sheinbaum's Position on Anti-Narcotics Strategy
The Mexican president has also appeared cooler on military-focused anti-narcotics tactics than her predecessors: on Monday, she ruled out any modifications to the country’s security strategy despite the recent brutal killing of a local official in a Mexican state.
“There are demands for militarization and armed conflict, as occurred with the war on drugs,” she commented. “That didn’t work.”