Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated on Friday that there is no risk of US military intervention on national territory, after The New York Times revealed that Donald Trump secretly signed an order for the Pentagon to use lethal force against foreign cartels, including Mexican groups.
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“We were informed about the order, but it has nothing to do with our territory,” stated Sheinbaum during her press conference at the National Palace, when asked about the scope of the directive. The governor emphasized that Mexico will not allow the entry of foreign troops to combat drug trafficking and that security policy will continue to be the exclusive responsibility of the Mexican State.
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The context: secret order and military scope
The NYT investigation points out that Trump authorized the Department of Defense to carry out offensive operations outside the U.S., including captures and direct attacks against criminal leaders classified by his government as armed terrorist organizations. The measure would affect cartels in Mexico and Venezuela, as well as gangs like the Tren de Aragua and MS-13.
Although the White House maintains that the order aims to “protect national security” and curb fentanyl trafficking, experts cited by the newspaper warn that applying lethal force in another country without their consent would violate international law and could strain diplomatic relations.
Mexico distances itself from accusations against Maduro
During the same media encounter, Sheinbaum denied that there is any investigation in Mexico against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for alleged links to the Sinaloa Cartel, as stated by the U.S. Department of Justice when they doubled the reward for his capture to 50 million dollars. “This is the first time we hear about this issue. There is no investigation on Mexico’s part related to that,” she said.
The president asked Washington to present evidence if they have any: “We do not have any evidence related to that.”