🔗 Share this article Mexican President Sheinbaum Denies Reports of US Troop Deployment in Mexico The nation's President Sheinbaum has firmly denied allegations that the US government is considering to deploy troops into the country to confront dominant drug trafficking organizations, stating that she has repeatedly refused such offers from President Trump. “It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum declared during her daily morning news conference on Tuesday. “We do not agree to any process of interference or external interference.” Context on the Reports Sheinbaum's remarks follow a report quoting present and past US officials that the US government has started planning for a mission to deploy US troops and agents into the neighboring nation. The report suggested that although the operation was not immediate and no final decision had been made, the early stages of training had commenced along with talks about the extent of the operation. Furthermore, the report stated that US troops would function under the jurisdiction of the US intelligence community, and that personnel from the CIA would take part as well. The Nation's Response But the Mexican leader was adamant that her country had “lack of details” about such a proposed intervention, although she admitted that in conversations with the US president, he had offered to dispatch troops and other assistance to tackle organized crime. “I’ve always said my gratitude, President Trump. But absolutely not, our country is a free, sovereign and sovereign country,” Sheinbaum declared. Historical Cooperation and Current Strains Mexico and the US have long collaborated in addressing drug-trafficking groups, with the United States at times dispatching CIA, armed forces and DEA agents to assist Mexico's initiatives to combat criminal networks. But the entry of US troops into Mexico to directly confront the cartels, especially without Mexico's consent, would be an unheard-of step that would almost certainly fracture an already tenuous bilateral relationship. Recent Actions and Understandings The Trump administration has designated addressing criminal organizations a key element of its foreign policy: in last winter, the US classified multiple drug cartels as terrorist groups. Additionally, it has launched a series of attacks against alleged narco vessels, most recently striking vessels in the eastern Pacific that resulted in the deaths of multiple suspects in recent weeks. While authorities saved one of the survivors from the attack, Sheinbaum condemned the strikes and ordered representatives from her government to discuss them with the US ambassador to the nation. On Tuesday, she also highlighted that the country had reached a cooperation pact with the US that was negotiated over an extended period. “We will proceed within this framework of understanding, which has very clear principles … which honors our independence and our territoriality.” Sheinbaum's Position on Anti-Narcotics Strategy The Mexican president has also appeared cooler on military-focused anti-narcotics tactics than her predecessors: on Monday, she dismissed any modifications to the nation's safety approach despite the recent brutal killing of a local official in a Mexican state. “There are demands for militarization and armed conflict, as occurred with the anti-drug campaign,” Sheinbaum said. “That didn’t work.”