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The U.S. military will not enter Mexico, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum, following reports that President Donald Trump had authorized such a move to tackle Latin American drug cartels.
Sheinbaum said her country would cooperate with the U.S., but “there will be no invasion.” Her comments follow a report in The New York Times suggesting the U.S. president secretly signed a directive for military force on foreign soil. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
The Trump administration has pledged to crack down on drug trafficking, targeting Latin American gangs, which it has declared as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). In recent months, Mexico has worked with the U.S. to curb both illegal migration and drug flow through their border. However, using the military to target these groups would mark a significant escalation.
Sheinbaum’s comments set a clear boundary over the reported but unconfirmed Trump policy during a delicate diplomatic period as the U.S. leader imposes tariffs on trading partners.
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According to The New York Times, citing sources close to the matter, Trump had directed the Pentagon for military operations at sea and on foreign soil to target cartels. This directive, which has not been confirmed, follows an earlier executive order that designated eight drug cartels as terrorist entities, six of which are Mexican.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico stated both countries would use “every tool at our disposal” to protect their people from drug trafficking groups but did not provide further details. Sheinbaum told reporters the U.S. “is not going to come to Mexico with their military,” describing it as “absolutely off the table.”
Brandan Buck, a Cato Institute foreign policy research fellow, previously told Newsweek that such a unilateral action by the U.S. would assuredly fail to stem drug flow into the United States while causing significant diplomatic fallout.
In May, Sheinbaum had rejected Trump’s offer of direct U.S. military assistance, saying “our territory is inalienable.”
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said on X that fentanyl seizures at the border were down and noted collaboration between Sheinbaum and Trump.
Sheinbaum: “There will be no invasion—that is rejected, absolutely rejected…the United States is not going to come to Mexico with troops.”
Johnson: “We are united. We will use all the tools at our disposal to protect our peoples, working collaboratively, as two sovereign allies.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated in a statement to Newsweek: “Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.”
The White House has not yet addressed the reported directive.
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According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, what will the U.S. military not do in Mexico?
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