The nation's head of state Claudia Sheinbaum has firmly rejected reports that the US government is planning to deploy military forces into the country to combat powerful cartels, emphasizing that she has repeatedly refused such offers from Donald Trump.
“It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum declared during her daily morning news conference on Tuesday. “We do not agree to any process of interference or external interference.”
Context on the Allegations
The President's remarks follow a news story citing present and past US officials that the Trump administration has started planning for a operation to deploy American military personnel and agents into the neighboring nation.
The report indicated that although the mission was not immediate and no final decision had been reached, the initial phases of preparation had already begun along with discussions about the scope of the operation.
Additionally, the report stated that US troops would operate under the jurisdiction of the American spy agencies, and that officers 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 intervention, even though she acknowledged that in conversations with Trump, he had offered to dispatch troops and additional resources to confront criminal groups.
“I’ve always said thank you very much, President Trump. But absolutely not, our country is a independent, sovereign and autonomous country,” Sheinbaum affirmed.
Past Collaboration and Present Tensions
Mexico and the US have long collaborated in addressing drug-trafficking groups, with the US at times sending intelligence, military and DEA operatives to support the country's efforts to fight criminal networks.
But the incursion of American military into Mexico to engage with the drug lords, particularly without the nation's consent, would be an unprecedented move that would likely fracture an already tenuous bilateral relationship.
Recent Actions and Understandings
The Trump administration has made addressing criminal organizations a central pillar of its international strategy: in last winter, Washington designated six Mexican cartels as terrorist groups.
Additionally, it has launched a series of attacks against alleged drug-trafficking boats, most recently striking ships in the eastern Pacific that killed multiple suspects in recent weeks.
While Mexico rescued one of the survivors from the strike, the President criticized the strikes and ordered officials from her government to address them with the US ambassador to Mexico.
On that day, Sheinbaum also noted that Mexico had reached a security agreement with the US that was negotiated over an extended period.
“We will proceed within this framework of understanding, which has defined guidelines … which honors our independence and our territorial integrity.”
Sheinbaum's Stance on Security Strategy
The national leader has also appeared less enthusiastic on militarised anti-narcotics tactics than her preceding leaders: on the previous day, she dismissed any modifications to the nation's security strategy despite the recent brutal killing of a local official in western Mexico.
“There are demands for militarization and war, as happened with the war on drugs,” she commented. “It proved ineffective.”
