Mexican leader stresses need to reinforce cooperation with US
Speaking at a press conference in the coastal state of Guerrero, Sheinbaum reiterated her openness to closer collaboration with the United States in confronting drug trafficking, despite Trump’s remarks suggesting that a military-led campaign, including strikes on Mexican territory, is imminent.
“We are going to strengthen communication, which is why I asked (Foreign Minister) Juan Ramon de la Fuente to meet with the (US) secretary of state ... three days ago Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio himself spoke about the good coordination, there is a working group, so we will further strengthen the relationship, the information we are providing ... in short, that they have all the information,” Sheinbaum said.
Her comments came after Trump, following a Jan. 3 US military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, indicated that Mexico could be the next target in efforts against organized crime.
Trump has claimed that criminal groups effectively control Mexico and that Sheinbaum lacks the capacity to confront them, declaring that Washington would “start, now, hitting land.”
“The cartels are running Mexico -- it’s very, very sad to watch, and see what’s happened to that country,” he said during an interview on Thursday.
Sheinbaum has consistently rejected the presence of foreign troops or foreign-led military actions on Mexican soil. During Friday’s briefing, she stressed that both countries already operate under an existing framework to combat drug trafficking.
She highlighted continued coordination between Mexico’s National Guard and Navy and the US military’s Northern Command, noting that this cooperation has delivered significant results against organized crime, including a recent seizure of 1.6 tons of cocaine after it arrived on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
When asked how her administration would respond if Trump moved ahead with military operations without dialogue, Sheinbaum made clear that her government would not consider alternatives beyond cooperation.
“We do not want to think about any other scenario; rather, we want to continue working within that scenario so that coordination is further strengthened within the framework of the defense of our sovereignties on both sides and of Mexico’s territorial integrity,” she said.
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