President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico on Friday rejected the use of U.S. military forces in her country, after President Trump directed the Pentagon to target drug cartels labeled as terrorist organizations.
“The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out,” she said, adding that the move was “not part of any agreement.”
It remains unclear what plans the Pentagon is considering, and Mexican officials say they were largely caught off guard. Analysts warn U.S. military action could strain bilateral ties to their worst level in decades, threatening cooperation on security and migration.
“This has always been Mexico’s deepest fear,” said former diplomat Arturo Rocha, citing the nation’s sovereignty as a “red line.”
Former U.S. officials also cautioned that unilateral military action could undo years of trust-building. “If the U.S. does this without Mexico’s consent, it will set the relationship back a hundred years,” said Todd Robinson, a former State Department official.
READ MORE AT THE NEWYORK TIMES