President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected any possibility of US military intervention in Mexico following the latest remarks by US President Donald Trump about launching strikes against drug cartels.
"Not going to happen," Sheinbaum said bluntly at a news conference on Tuesday, dismissing Trump’s comments.
"But I have said on every occasion that we can collaborate, that they can help us with information they may have, but we operate in our territory, we do not accept an intervention from any foreign government," she said.
Her remarks came after Trump said on Monday that "it’s OK with me," when asked whether he would consider authorising strikes inside Mexico to target drug-trafficking networks.
Since the start of his second term in January, Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of military intervention on Mexican soil.
One of his early decrees labelled drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, followed by comments suggesting the Mexican government has been overwhelmed by criminal groups.
Trump has also claimed that Sheinbaum is "afraid" of the cartels and has hinted at potential military or covert operations inside Mexico.
One-sided actions in Mexico
On Tuesday, Sheinbaum said communication with Washington remains good, adding that the Trump administration has so far only offered military assistance and would not act unless Mexico explicitly allowed US forces to operate on its territory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has similarly pledged that Washington would not carry out "one-sided" actions in Mexico, stressing that any cooperation would be limited to what Mexico accepts.
But Sheinbaum said that permission would never be granted.
"I already said it: the last time the United States came to Mexico with an intervention, they took half of the territory," she added.
