Mexican President rules out Trump's reported military plan against Mexico's drug cartels

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WASHINGTON − Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ruled out any U.S. military “invasion” into Mexico following the Trump administration’s reported plans to use military force against Latin American drug cartels.

"The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military," Sheinbaum said Aug. 8 at her regular morning news conference. "We co-operate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out."

Sheinbaum comments are in response to a New York Times report Aug. 8 that President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to target transnational fentanyl traffickers that use Mexico as a base of operations.

The Times said Trump had secretly signed a directive to begin using military force on foreign soil against cartels. In February, the U.S. designated the Sinaloa Cartel and other Mexican drug cartels as global terrorist organizations, which some analysts have warned could be a stepping stone to such military action.

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the new directive to Reuters but said military action against the designated groups did not appear imminent and it was unclear exactly what type of operations they would carry out.

Trump has long said publicly that the U.S. would take unilateral military action if Mexico failed to dismantle drug cartels. That has put Washington at odds with its southern neighbor and key trading partner. Sheinbaum, in return, has pushed Trump to do more to stop the flow of high-powered American-made guns from the U.S. into Mexico.

The two leaders have had several calls this year to discuss security issues, trade and immigration.

Sheinbaum has made similar comments before, including after a May 2 Wall Street Journal report that said Trump was pressuring Mexico to allow deeper U.S. military involvement against drug cartels on both sides of their shared border.

"In one of the calls, (Trump) said, 'How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the U.S. Army come in to help you,' " said Sheinbaum, who was speaking at a university event near the capital of Mexico City on May 2.

"And you know what I told him? No, President Trump, the territory is sacrosanct, sovereignty is sacrosanct, sovereignty is not for sale, sovereignty is loved and defended," Sheinbaum said. While the two countries can collaborate, she said, "we will never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory."

"We can collaborate, we can work together, but you can do it in your territory, we can do it in ours," Sheinbaum said.

Trump reportedly considered military action in Mexico during his first term. His former defense secretary, Mark Esper, wrote in his memoir that Trump asked at least twice in 2020 if the military could "shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy drug labs."

Esper wrote that he replied that it would be illegal and an act of war.