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Mexico's head of state Claudia Sheinbaum has categorically rejected allegations that the United States is considering to send troops into Mexico to combat powerful drug trafficking organizations, emphasizing that she has repeatedly refused such offers from Donald Trump.

“This will not occur,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily morning press briefing on Tuesday. “We do not agree to any process of interventionism or interventionism.”

Context on the Allegations

The President's comments come after a news story quoting current and former US officials that the US government has initiated preparations for a operation to send US troops and agents into Mexico.

This information suggested that although the operation was not immediate and no final decision had been made, the initial phases of training had already begun along with talks about the scope of the operation.

Additionally, the report stated that US troops would operate under the authority of the American spy agencies, and that personnel from the Central Intelligence Agency would also participate.

Mexico's Response

But Sheinbaum was adamant that her country had “no information” about such a planned incursion, even though she admitted that in phone calls with Trump, he had proposed to dispatch military support and additional resources to confront organized crime.

“I’ve always said thank you very much, Mr. Trump. But no, Mexico is a independent, independent and sovereign nation,” Sheinbaum affirmed.

Historical Cooperation and Present Tensions

Mexico and the US have long collaborated in addressing cartels, with the United States at times dispatching CIA, military and Drug Enforcement Administration agents to assist Mexico's initiatives to fight criminal networks.

But the incursion of US troops into Mexico to engage with the drug lords, particularly without the nation's consent, would be an unheard-of step that would likely fracture an fragile bilateral relationship.

Latest Actions and Understandings

The Trump administration has made confronting criminal organizations a central pillar of its international strategy: in February, the US designated multiple drug cartels as terrorist groups.

Additionally, it has initiated a multiple strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats, including striking ships in the eastern Pacific that killed multiple suspects in late October.

While Mexico saved one of the survivors from the attack, the President condemned the strikes and ordered officials from her administration to address them with the American envoy to Mexico.

On Tuesday, she also noted that Mexico had reached a cooperation pact with the US that was discussed over an extended period.

“We are going to continue working within this framework of understanding, which has defined guidelines … which respects our independence and our territorial integrity.”

The President's Stance on Anti-Narcotics Strategy

The Mexican president has also appeared less enthusiastic on military-focused anti-narcotics tactics than her preceding leaders: on Monday, she ruled out any modifications to the country’s safety approach despite the recent brutal killing of a local official in western Mexico.

“There are demands for militarization and armed conflict, as happened with the war on drugs,” she said. “That didn’t work.”