Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says U.S. troops will not enter Mexico to combat drug cartels following reports of a secret order by President Donald Trump authorizing military action against them, The New York Times reported on Friday.
"We cooperate, collaborate, but there will be no invasion," she said. "That is off the table, absolutely off the table."
Trump secretly signed a directive authorizing the Department of Defense to use military force against cartels labeled terrorist organizations, according to reports.
This followed news that the Trump administration increased the reward for capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million, citing his alleged involvement with cartels in drug trafficking.
"We had been told that this order was coming, and it was expressed to us that there was going to be no participation of any military or institution in our territory," the Mexican president said. "The U.S. agencies that have a presence in this country are very strictly regulated. We are the country that has more regulations on foreign agencies."
Although some Mexican and U.S. officials believe Sheinbaum's reputation as a "Trump whisperer" is exaggerated, they acknowledge her skill in balancing Trump's border, tariff, and fentanyl negotiations with domestic approval.
Sheinbaum said her government previously told the Trump administration that military intervention was not allowed or included in any agreements.
The tension between Sheinbaum and the Trump administration has been ongoing over tariffs and the deportation of illegal immigrants since January. In April, Sheinbaum banned the broadcast of television and and radio networks produced by the administration targeting both immigrants in the U.S. and people thinking of crossing the border illegally.
"Mexico stands for diversity, inclusion, and rights," Sheinbaum told reporters. "Our sovereignty must be respected."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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