‘We will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory,’ Sheinbaum said.
Mexico has declined President Donald Trump’s offer to deploy U.S. troops in Mexico to help combat drug cartels, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on May 3.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on May 2, based on anonymous sources, that Trump had offered to send U.S. troops to take a leading role in efforts within Mexico to counter the cartels. Sheinbaum was asked to comment on The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on Saturday, as she attended an event near Mexico’s capital.
“You know what I told him? ‘No, President Trump, the territory is inviolable. Sovereignty is inviolable,’” Sheinbaum told the audience.
The Mexican president said she remains willing to work with the United States on some measures to counter cartel activity but draws the line at U.S. boots on the ground in her country.
“We can share information but we will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory,” she said.
The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment about the reported troop deployment and the administration’s communications with Sheinbaum. The White House did not respond before publication time.
Since taking office, Trump has sought more expansive security measures along the U.S.–Mexico border.
In a Jan. 31 interview with Fox News, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth left open the possibility of U.S. military action in Mexico.
Responding to Hegseth’s comments just days later, Sheinbaum insisted that her country’s sovereignty be respected.
In early February, Sheinbaum agreed to mobilize 10,000 Mexican troops to assist in an expanded effort to counter cross-border trafficking. Trump agreed to delay a planned 25 percent tariff on Mexico as a show of goodwill following Sheinbaum’s troop deployment decision.
By mid-February, the U.S. State Department designated six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, along with the El Salvador-based MS-13 and the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua.
The terror designations provide more avenues for the U.S. government to target the finances of these transnational criminal organizations. They also raise the possibility of military action.
By Ryan Morgan
