Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected President Trump’s repeated offers to send U.S. forces into Mexico to combat drug trafficking, insisting Mexico will not accept foreign military intervention. Sheinbaum reiterated a desire for "collaboration and coordination without subordination" and said she had conveyed that message to U.S. officials, including Senator Marco Rubio. The exchange comes as the U.S. has launched strikes against vessels alleged to be carrying drugs and has designated some traffickers as "terrorist organizations." President Trump said he would consider stronger actions, citing problems in Mexico City.
Sheinbaum Firmly Rejects Trump's Offer of U.S. Military Intervention in Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected President Trump’s repeated offers to send U.S. forces into Mexico to combat drug trafficking, insisting Mexico will not accept foreign military intervention. Sheinbaum reiterated a desire for "collaboration and coordination without subordination" and said she had conveyed that message to U.S. officials, including Senator Marco Rubio. The exchange comes as the U.S. has launched strikes against vessels alleged to be carrying drugs and has designated some traffickers as "terrorist organizations." President Trump said he would consider stronger actions, citing problems in Mexico City.
10:57 AM, 11/19/2025Politics
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday rejected repeated suggestions from U.S. President Donald Trump that American troops could operate inside Mexico to combat drug trafficking, saying she will not permit foreign military intervention on Mexican soil.
Speaking at a press conference, Sheinbaum said Trump had raised the possibility during several phone calls. While she affirmed Mexico's willingness to share intelligence and cooperate with U.S. authorities, she made clear that any direct military presence would be unacceptable.
"We don't want intervention from any foreign government," Sheinbaum said in Spanish, noting that Mexico lost large amounts of territory the last time the United States had a military presence in the country during the 19th-century U.S.-Mexico War.
Sheinbaum added that she seeks "collaboration and coordination without subordination" and said she communicated that position to U.S. officials, including Senator Marco Rubio.
The comments come as the U.S. has begun strikes targeting vessels it says were carrying illicit drugs across the Pacific. U.S. military and government officials have defended those actions by pointing to recent decisions to designate certain drug trafficking groups as "terrorist organizations," a classification that U.S. authorities argue provides legal cover for more aggressive measures.
President Trump told reporters the strikes had reduced maritime drug shipments and helped prevent fatal overdoses among U.S. citizens. Asked whether he would consider military strikes in Mexico, Trump said he was open to the idea and criticized conditions in Mexico City. "So let me just put it this way, I am not happy with Mexico," he said.
Sheinbaum's response underscores Mexico's insistence on sovereignty and preference for intelligence-sharing and law-enforcement cooperation rather than foreign military involvement, while tensions persist over U.S. efforts to curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.