Over the weekend, President Trump revealed that he offered to deploy US troops to Mexico to combat the violent drug cartels, but this proposal was dismissed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Sheinbaum, 62, stated publicly on Saturday that she would not accept Trump’s offer and reaffirmed her commitment to addressing the drug cartel issue without foreign military involvement.
The news of Trump’s offer was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Friday.
“That’s true,” Trump, 78, confirmed to reporters during his flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday night aboard Air Force One. “The cartels are the dangerous entities responsible for deaths on both sides. They’ve built their wealth on drug sales and the devastation they’ve caused in our communities.”
“They’re certainly bad news,” he added. “If Mexico needed our assistance to fight the cartels, we would be honored to help. I communicated that to her. The cartels are intent on undermining our country.”
The US experienced at least 87,000 drug overdose fatalities between October 2023 and September 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report also indicated around 57,997 deaths specifically linked to fentanyl during the same period.
Speaking at a university event in Mexico, Sheinbaum discussed her decision to reject Trump’s assistance against the cartels. “And you know what I told him? No, President Trump,” she remarked. “You cannot invade our territory or compromise our sovereignty. Our sovereignty is valued and protected.”
“We don’t need that type of help. We can collaborate in other ways. We can share intelligence, but we will never accept the presence of US troops in Mexico,” she asserted.
Earlier this year, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, though Mexico is exempt from specific products under the US-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The tariffs aimed to urge Mexico to act decisively against the fentanyl crisis and illegal immigration issues. Notably, Mexico was the largest trading partner of the US in 2023.
Trump remarked, “She seems quite scared of the cartel that she can hardly function,” referring to Sheinbaum. “I think she’s a nice person. She’s a lovely woman, but her fear of the cartel seems to cloud her judgment.”
Despite existing trade tensions, Trump’s interactions with Sheinbaum have been more amicable than his often contentious relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Republicans have consistently advocated for a tougher stance on Mexican drug cartels. During the 2024 GOP primary, various candidates, including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, discussed the potential for military action in Mexico to tackle the fentanyl crisis.
