Trump Considers Strikes on Cartels; Sheinbaum Rejects Proposal

President Donald Trump said he would be willing to authorize a military strike on Mexican territory against drug cartels if he deemed it necessary. In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum firmly reiterated that “it will not happen.” Speaking at a White House conference, Trump stated that launching attacks to curb drug trafficking “is fine with me” and that he would support “whatever it takes to stop the drugs.” “Let me put it this way: I am not satisfied with Mexico,” he added. 

Trump argued that thousands of Americans are dying from drug-related causes and described the situation as comparable to a war. “We know every route. We know the addresses of every trafficker. They are killing our people. It is like a war,” he said. Meanwhile, President Sheinbaum emphasized that her administration has consistently rejected the presence of US troops on Mexican soil. She recalled that this week, Trump had again expressed his willingness to approve an anti-drug operation in Mexico. 

“Our agreement with the United States is based on cooperation, coordination, and respect for sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said at the National Palace. She added that during her phone conversations with Trump, he offered US military assistance to combat organized crime, but Mexico made its position clear: Washington may share intelligence, but operations within Mexican territory are carried out exclusively by Mexican authorities. “We do not accept intervention from any foreign government,” she stressed.

Sheinbaum also referenced historical precedent, noting that the last US military intervention in Mexico had disastrous consequences. “The last time the United States intervened in Mexico, it took half of our territory,” she said, referring to the 1846–1848 conflict between the two countries.

Trump’s latest statement has sparked concerns, coming just a week after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed claims that the Trump administration intends to deploy military forces to Mexico or take unilateral action against drug trafficking. 

United States Launches Operation Southern Spear in Latin America

While Mexico is not a target, other countries in the region are. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a military campaign aimed at targeting “narco-terrorists,” as the United States continues a large-scale deployment of troops, warships, and fighter jets throughout Latin America.

The announcement follows reports that the US military recently carried out its 20th strike on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing four people. CNN cited an unnamed Defense Department official stating that there were “no survivors” from the attack. While the United States frames these actions as anti-drug efforts, it has not publicly released evidence or legal justification for the lethal strikes, which have reportedly resulted in around 80 deaths.

The military deployment is widely viewed as a pressure tactic against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who condemned the United States, accusing it of creating false narratives to justify attacks on vessels in regional waters. Venezuela’s Ministry of Defense reported mobilizing nearly 200,000 troops for exercises to counter what it calls an “imperialist threat.” Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino described the US presence as a “vulgar attack on the sovereignty and peace” of Venezuela and the broader region.