Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the idea of U.S. military involvement to combat drug cartels, following a productive discussion with President Donald Trump regarding security and drug trafficking. She emphasized that Mexico is committed to collaborating while maintaining its sovereignty and does not seek U.S. military intervention.
During a recent news conference, Sheinbaum disclosed that she turned down offers of military action from Trump and made it clear that Mexico does not support such intervention. She expressed a willingness to engage in coordination with the U.S. without being subordinate.
The two leaders focused on security, respecting Mexico’s sovereignty, combating drug trafficking, as well as discussing trade and investment during their interaction. Trump’s recent comments on Fox News implied that cartels were in control of Mexico, suggesting potential land strikes by the U.S. against them.
In another development, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged with Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente to stress the importance of enhanced cooperation to dismantle violent narco-terrorist networks in Mexico and prevent the trafficking of fentanyl and weapons.
Sheinbaum mentioned a significant decline of about 50% in fentanyl trafficking from Mexico to the U.S. over the past year. She clarified that she did not discuss Cuba with Trump despite his remarks on cutting off Venezuelan oil and funds to the island nation following the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January.
Addressing Mexico’s stance on Venezuela, Sheinbaum informed Trump that Mexico opposes military interventions as per its constitution. She expressed Mexico’s readiness to facilitate communication between Cuba and the U.S. upon request.
Overall, Mexico remains committed to sovereignty and cooperation in addressing security challenges and drug trafficking issues with the United States.