In a Saturday statement, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum claimed that she had turned down President Trump’s offer to send American troops into Mexico to aid in the war on drugs.
In reaction to a Wall Street Journal piece that detailed a heated phone discussion last month, in which Trump allegedly pushed her to agree to a larger involvement for the U.S. military in fighting Mexican drug gangs, she spoke to supporters in the east of the country the day before.
“How can we assist you in your battle against drug trafficking?” he said. I suggest sending in the troops from the US to provide you a hand. And did you hear what I told him? The president said, “No.”
“Sovereignty is not for sale,” she added. We love and protect sovereignty.
According to a statement released later Saturday by White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt, Trump has maintained tight ties with Mexico’s president “to achieve the most secure southwest border in history.”
“However, the shared security of our nation is still threatened by dangerous foreign terrorist organizations, and the drugs and crime that these organizations spread endanger communities across the United States,” the statement stated. “The President has made it very clear that Mexico needs to step up its fight against gangs and cartels. The United States is prepared to lend a hand and deepen our partnership with Mexico in this endeavor.”
Since President Trump ordered the military to play a larger role in stopping the influx of migrants in January, the number of U.S. troops stationed near the southern border with Mexico has grown substantially during the past few months.
Enhanced manned surveillance aircraft, a rush of personnel and equipment to the border, and new authorization for U.S. Special police to collaborate closely with Mexican police fighting cartels are all measures taken by the U.S. Northern Command to keep an eye on fentanyl trafficking along the border.
On February 19, Trump declassified many drug-trafficking cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, therefore limiting their travel and providing law enforcement with additional resources to combat them.
Despite months of collaboration on immigration and trade, Sheinbaum’s strong position on Saturday indicated that the United States was pressuring her to support unilateral military involvement, which would lead to a confrontation with Trump.
We may collaborate, but you stay in your sphere of influence and we stay in ours,” Sheinbaum stated.