The Mexican government has firmly rejected President Donald Trump’s proposal to deploy U.S. troops to combat drug trafficking cartels in Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum made the statement during a public event on the 3rd of May, emphasizing that Mexico would “never tolerate” the presence of U.S. military forces on its soil. Her remarks followed a phone conversation last month with President Trump, where he suggested U.S. military involvement to help Mexico fight drug trafficking.
President Sheinbaum responded by urging the U.S. to focus on stopping the flow of illegal weapons from the United States into Mexico if they genuinely wanted to assist in the fight against drug cartels. The offer to send U.S. troops came as part of ongoing pressure from the Trump administration, which had designated several Mexican drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.” These cartels are accused of smuggling fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, into the United States.
Despite the U.S. push for more military action, Mexico has been increasing security along its border and cooperating with the U.S. on intelligence-gathering activities, including the use of drones by the CIA. However, Mexico remains adamant about preserving its sovereignty and has stated that it will not allow unilateral military actions. A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council indicated that the U.S. is prepared to enhance cooperation with Mexico but emphasized that Mexico must take further action to combat the cartels.