Mexico’s president said Friday that U.S. forces would not be allowed to enter her country, responding to reports that President Trump had directed the military to cross the border to fight drug cartels that have been labeled foreign terrorist groups.
“The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said to The New York Times.
“It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.”
The New York Times reported Trump signed the directive in secret, providing a justification for potential military operations against the criminal organizations. It also reported U.S. military officials have started drawing up plans for how the military could target cartels.
Any unilateral strikes against cartels identified as terrorist groups could also raise legal issues if individuals are killed who do not pose an imminent threat or who are not part of a conflict where Congress has authorized military action.
“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to The Hill.
In May, the Trump administration offered to send U.S. troops into Mexican territory to fight the cartels. This came after Trump signed an executive order Jan. 20 designating multiple gangs, such as the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo and La Nueva Familia Michoacana as terrorist groups.
Sheinbaum rejected the offer while affirming Mexico will collaborate with U.S. authorities in intelligence sharing.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who serves on the Armed Services Committee, backed Trump’s decision in a post on the social platform X, writing, “Mexican drug cartels are just as dangerous and murderous as terrorist groups. I’ve long called for the U.S. to take the fight directly to the Cartels. This is a great decision by President Trump and @SecDef.”
Scheinbaum has cracked down on cartels, especially the Sinaloa Cartel, since she was elected president in 2024. In July, Mexican authorities reported a significant drop in fentanyl seizures.
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