Drug cartels in Mexico breathed a great sigh of relief after President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she rejected a bold offer made by President Donald Trump.
The proposal would have deployed U.S. troops to combat powerful drug cartels on Mexican soil.
Her defiance comes as deadly cartels continue flooding American communities with fentanyl, killing thousands of U.S. citizens each year while operating with impunity across the southern border.
President Trump confirmed he offered American military assistance to help Mexico deal with the out-of-control cartel problem.
During a rally in Pennsylvania, President Trump explained his reasoning while expressing disappointment at Sheinbaum’s refusal.
“They are bad news. If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it. I told her that I would be honored to go in and do it. The cartels are trying to destroy our country. They’re evil,” President Trump said.
The Mexican president revealed details about the interaction during an address to supporters in eastern Mexico.
She made it clear that Mexico would not allow American troops on its soil, regardless of the growing cartel threat.
“I told him, No, President Trump, our territory is inviolable, our sovereignty is inviolable, our sovereignty is not for sale,” Sheinbaum stated.
“We can collaborate. We can work together, but with you in your territory and us in ours. We can share information, but we will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory,” she added.
President Trump suggested that Sheinbaum’s refusal stems from fear of the cartels rather than true concerns about sovereignty.
“She’s so afraid of the cartels she can’t walk … And I think she’s a lovely woman. The president of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight,” President Trump told reporters.
A stunning report described how the Trump administration has been pressuring Mexico for deeper U.S. military involvement against the drug cartels.
The Trump administration has taken significant steps to combat the cartel threat despite Mexico’s resistance.
In February, President Trump designated many drug-smuggling gangs and cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” giving U.S. authorities expanded powers to go after their finances and operations.
The administration has also increased military presence along the southern border to combat both illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.
U.S. Northern Command has stepped up surveillance activities targeting cartel operations and has requested additional authority for operations against these groups.
The White House National Security Council emphasized that Mexico needs to do more to combat drug cartels and that the U.S. stands ready to assist.
The standoff over U.S. military assistance comes as fentanyl deaths continue to devastate American communities.
President Trump has previously announced tariffs on Mexican imports over drug and migrant issues, which were later suspended under renegotiated trade terms in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
