Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has delivered a firm message to Washington: U.S. military intervention on Mexican soil is not welcome — and it won’t happen.

Speaking at her morning press conference, Sheinbaum directly addressed renewed comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly suggested the possibility of using military force to combat drug cartels in Mexico.

“It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum said in Spanish.

She revealed that Trump has repeatedly offered military assistance in private conversations, including proposals for direct U.S. intervention. While she said Mexico is open to intelligence-sharing and collaboration, she made it clear that foreign troops crossing into Mexican territory is off the table.

“We do not accept an intervention by any foreign government,” she stated.

Trump Escalates Rhetoric

Trump’s latest remarks came during an Oval Office appearance alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, where the U.S. president openly said he would consider military strikes inside Mexico to stop drug trafficking.

“To stop drugs? It’s OK with me. Whatever we have to do,” Trump said.

He compared potential land strikes in Mexico to recent U.S. missile attacks against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific — a controversial campaign that has already killed dozens of people and drawn criticism from human rights groups and the United Nations.

Despite claims that these strikes have saved “25,000 American lives per vessel,” there is no verified evidence to support those numbers. U.S. overdose deaths have actually declined in recent years, according to CDC data.

Growing Tensions and Dangerous Precedent

Trump has gone further than rhetoric. Since returning to office, he has labeled Latin American drug cartels as:

• “Foreign terrorist organizations”

• “Enemy combatants”

He has also asserted that the U.S. is in a state of war with drug traffickers — even though only Congress has the authority to officially declare war.

In August, Trump reportedly signed a secret military directive authorizing action against cartels, raising serious alarm in Mexico. On October 2, he formally notified Congress that he considers cartel activity a “non-international armed conflict,” laying the legal groundwork for military escalation.

Mexico Draws the Line

Mexico has a long memory of foreign intervention, and Sheinbaum made it clear that history will not repeat itself.

“There is collaboration and coordination,” she said. “But there is no subordination — and we cannot allow an intervention.”

Her message echoes the position held by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who also rejected outside military involvement during Trump’s first term.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a political dispute — it has real consequences:

• Rising diplomatic tension between the U.S. and Mexico

• Human rights concerns over extrajudicial military strikes

• Regional instability if the U.S. expands operations into Mexican territory

For now, Mexico is standing firm:
They’re willing to cooperate — but they will not surrender their sovereignty.