President Donald Trump said that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has turned down his offer to deploy American troops into Mexico to fight against the country’s drug cartels.
Newsweek contacted the Mexican Foreign Ministry for comment on Monday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Between 2015 and 2021, the number of murders in Mexico per year linked to organized crime increased from around 8,000 to 23,500 per year, according to figures from the Mexican Peace Index. Major cartels operate on a transnational basis and are heavily involved with smuggling fentanyl and illegal migrants into the U.S.
What To Know
Speaking to journalists on Sunday onboard Air Force One, Trump said it was “true” that Sheinbaum had turned down his offer to send American soldiers into Mexico to help combat the cartels.
He said: “Well she’s so afraid of the cartels she can’t walk, so you know that’s the reason.
“And I think she’s a lovely woman. The president of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight.”
After Trump returned to the White House in January, he signed an executive order designating a number of Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, giving them the same status of groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
In April, Trump issued a presidential memorandum instructing the U.S. military to take a more direct role in securing the southern border, including repelling attempts at illegal entry, to conserve “the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States.”
During 2023, the United States recorded more than 74,000 deaths that were attributed to fentanyl overdoses according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What People Are Saying
Referring to the cartels on Sunday, Trump said: “They are bad news. If Mexico wanted help with the cartels we would be honored to go in and do it. I told her that. I would be honored to go in and do it. The cartels are trying to destroy our country.”
Speaking on Saturday, Sheinbaum said she had turned down Trump’s offer of military assistance inside Mexico commenting: “He said, ‘How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States military come in and help you.’ And you know what I said to him? ‘No, President Donald Trump.’ Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended.”
Sheinbaum said she told Trump the U.S. and Mexico “can work together, but you in your territory and us in ours.”
What Happens Next
Sheinbaum’s refusal to allow the U.S. military to operate in Mexico could increase tensions with the Trump administration which is already in a dispute with the Mexican state over trade and tariffs. Any unilateral deployment would be highly contentious and could see American forces become involved in a protracted conflict.
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