Mexico Rejects Direct U.S. Military Intervention Against Drug Cartels

The Mexican government insists that security cooperation must be limited to intelligence sharing and technical support, without the operational presence of U.S. forces on national soil. The call came after previous statements from Trump in which he did not rule out possible direct attacks against drug cartels in Mexico, even through ground actions. The Mexican government highlights that it has intensified its own operations against clandestine laboratories in various states and rejects the idea of direct U.S. intervention. The dispute over this proposal is shaping up to be one of the most delicate axes of the bilateral relationship in the coming months, with political, diplomatic, and strategic implications for both Washington and Mexico City. Sources consulted: The New York Times; Reuters; Associated Press; Mexican national media; official sources from the governments of the United States and Mexico. The Trump administration believes that greater involvement of its forces would accelerate the dismantling of laboratories and logistical networks operating from Mexico. In Mexico, however, sectors of the ruling party warn that allowing the active presence of foreign troops could set a sensitive political and legal precedent, in addition to affecting national sovereignty. These statements have generated concern in the Mexican government and have revived the historical debate about the limits of security cooperation between the two countries. From Washington, officials state that the pressure responds to the magnitude of the fentanyl crisis in the United States, a synthetic drug responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually from overdoses. The initiative contemplates that the formal command of the operations will remain in the hands of Mexican forces, while U.S. personnel would provide intelligence, tactical advice, and on-the-ground operational support. U.S. officials indicated that this proposal was initially presented at the beginning of last year and regained momentum after the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which occurred on January 3 in an operation led by the United States. Washington, January 17, 2026 - Total News Agency - TNA - The Donald Trump government intensified its pressure on Mexico to authorize joint operations between the military forces of both countries with the aim of dismantling fentanyl laboratories, in a proposal that would include the direct participation of U.S. special operations troops and CIA agents in raids carried out on Mexican territory. According to The New York Times, Washington seeks for elite forces or intelligence personnel to accompany Mexican soldiers during incursions against clandestine facilities dedicated to the production of synthetic drugs. This information was then shared with Mexican military units for the execution of internal operations. The U.S. pressure occurs in a context of strong bilateral tensions. According to the information published, during the Joe Biden administration, the CIA had already carried out covert drone flights over Mexican territory to detect possible fentanyl laboratories and track the entry of chemical precursors through the country's ports. This week, Trump held a telephone conversation with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, in which the head of state reiterated her rejection of any foreign military intervention in her country. For the White House, that precedent reinforced the convenience of adopting more direct actions against drug trafficking structures in the region. The proposal is not isolated.