On Sunday, President Trump acknowledged that he had proposed sending troops to Mexico, but mentioned that President Claudia Sinbaum is hesitant due to cartel concerns.
Just the day before, Sinbaum stated that she had turned down Trump’s offer to deploy U.S. forces to combat drug trafficking.
“And what did I tell him? No, President Trump,” she remarked. “You cannot violate your territory. Your sovereignty cannot be compromised. It is valued and must be protected.”
Republican voices have been increasingly advocating for U.S. military intervention in Mexico, a notion that has faced strong rejection from various Mexican administrations.
Earlier this year, Trump acted on his campaign promise by labeling several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations. Members of his team have also mentioned the possibility of drone strikes targeting these groups.
Referring to the situation, Trump commented to reporters aboard Air Force One, “So, Mexico says they offered to send troops to tackle the cartel. Is that accurate? Yes, it’s true.”
He suggested that Sinbaum “is very afraid of the cartel,” though he characterized her as “a lovely woman.”
Yet, he added, “She’s so afraid of the cartel that she can’t even think clearly.”
The Hill reached out to the Mexican government for its response.
On Saturday, Sinbaum reiterated that U.S. military involvement in Mexico is “unacceptable” and “not necessary.”
“We can collaborate. We can work together. But you are in our territory. We can exchange information, but we will never allow the U.S. Army on our land,” she emphasized.
At the start of the year, Trump instituted a 25% tariff on Mexico over ongoing fentanyl issues, although many goods previously covered by trade agreements remain exempt from this tax.
