Mexico's President Sheinbaum has firmly denied allegations that the US government is considering to send troops into the country to confront dominant drug trafficking organizations, stating 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 are opposed to any form of interventionism or external interference.”
Background on the Reports
The President's comments come after a report quoting current and former American authorities that the US government has initiated preparations for a operation to deploy US troops and intelligence officers into Mexico.
The report suggested that although the operation was not immediate and no final decision had been made, the initial phases of training had already begun along with discussions about the scope of the deployment.
Furthermore, the report stated that US troops would operate under the jurisdiction of the American spy agencies, and that officers from the CIA would take part as well.
Mexico's Reaction
But the Mexican leader was insistent that her nation had “lack of details” about such a planned incursion, even though she admitted that in phone calls with the US president, he had offered to send troops and additional resources to tackle organized crime.
“I’ve always said my gratitude, President Trump. But absolutely not, our country is a free, independent and autonomous country,” the President affirmed.
Past Collaboration and Current Tensions
The two nations have historically worked together in tackling drug-trafficking groups, with the United States at times dispatching intelligence, armed forces and DEA operatives to support the country's efforts to combat criminal networks.
But the incursion of US troops into Mexico to directly confront the drug lords, especially without the nation's consent, would be an unprecedented move that would likely fracture an fragile partnership between the two countries.
Latest Actions and Agreements
The US government has designated addressing criminal organizations a central pillar of its international strategy: in February, Washington designated six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
It has also launched a multiple strikes against suspected narco vessels, most recently striking ships in the eastern Pacific that killed 14 alleged traffickers in late October.
While authorities saved one of the survivors from the attack, Sheinbaum criticized the strikes and ordered officials from her administration to address them with the American envoy to Mexico.
On Tuesday, she also highlighted that the country had reached a cooperation pact with the United States that was negotiated over an extended period.
“We are going to continue working within this cooperative structure, which has very clear principles … which respects our independence and our territorial integrity.”
The President's Position on Security Approach
The national leader has also seemed cooler on militarised drug combat strategies 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 a Mexican state.
“There are demands for military action and armed conflict, as occurred with the war on drugs,” Sheinbaum commented. “It proved ineffective.”
