Should Mexico allow the United States military to come into the country to combat violent drug cartels?
National Action Party (PAN) Senator Lily Téllez, for one, is in favor of the idea.
On Tuesday, Téllez expressed her view during remarks she made in the Senate, which approved President Claudia Sheinbaum’s request for 10 U.S. soldiers to come into Mexico to provide training to Mexican marines.
“This is nothing new,” the senator said, referring to the entry of U.S. military personnel to Mexico to conduct training exercises with Mexican forces.
“… It’s a practice that has occurred and which always reminds us that there can be cooperation between both military forces, those of the United States and those of Mexico,” Téllez said.
Sheinbaum has stressed that Mexico is willing to collaborate with the United States on security issues, but asserts that it will do so as an equal partner and not accept subordination. She is staunchly opposed to the use of the United States military on Mexican soil to combat Mexican cartels, an idea to which U.S. President Donald Trump, and people close to him, have expressed openness.
Téllez, in remarks clearly directed at Sheinbaum, said that the entry of United States forces to Mexico to “cooperate” with Mexicans on training exercises doesn’t amount to an “invasion” or a violation of Mexico’s sovereignty.
“The homeland wasn’t sold, the homeland wasn’t subjugated because constantly there is this cooperation between United States forces and Mexican forces,” she said.
“Why then not accept the cooperation of the United States to act against the cartels in Mexico?” Téllez asked.
“Why not accept it under an agreement of cooperation within a legal framework as is happening, and as has happened during all these years when these kinds of [training] exercises that we authorized today are carried out?”
The senator asserted that Mexico is incapable of combating powerful criminal organizations, such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, on its own.
“The reality is that the Mexican state can’t combat the cartels because if the Mexican state were able to combat the cartels, it would have already done it, right?” Téllez said.
Her remarks came six days after the U.S. government announced it intended “to pursue total elimination of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations.”
On Jan. 20, the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move that pleased Téllez.
Aunque sea en EU, celebro que mi iniciativa para designar cárteles como terroristas, es realidad.
Ese era mi mayor anhelo desde 1999, cuando hacía reportajes sobre cárteles y sobreviví a un atentado.
Este es un primer paso hacia la verdad: en México hay un narco Estado.
— Lilly Téllez (@LillyTellez) January 22, 2025
Asked at the time whether he would consider “ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels, Trump said it “could happen.”
“Stranger things have happened,” said the president, who last year indicated he was open to using military “strikes” against Mexican cartels.
A poll conducted by the Reforma newspaper late last year revealed that 46% of respondents had a favorable view of Mexico collaborating with the U.S. to fight drug cartels in Mexico. Exactly half of those polled were opposed to the idea.
Téllez: ‘The cartels are partners of Morena’
In the second half of her Senate floor speech, Téllez said that cooperation with the United States to combat cartels in Mexico “could save the lives of Mexicans” that the ruling Morena party “has left defenseless in the face of organized crime’s war against citizens.”
“… If it is clear that there can be cooperation without subjugation, why doesn’t Morena want it?” asked the senator, who defected from Morena to PAN — Mexico’s largest opposition party — in 2020.
“It doesn’t want it because the President Claudia, the secretary of AMLO, is protecting his narco-state. The cartels are partners of Morena, to them they owe their arrival and continued presence in power,” Téllez claimed.
With those words, she echoed the view expressed by the White House in a Feb. 1 fact sheet on the tariffs Trump planned to impose on Mexican exports to the United States last week, but agreed to pause for one month after Sheinbaum committed to deploying 10,000 National Guard troops to the northern border.
“The Mexican drug trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico,” said the White House, which also asserted that the Mexican government has “afforded safe havens for the cartels to engage in the manufacturing and transportation of dangerous narcotics.”
Sheinbaum unsurprisingly rejected the White House’s claims, describing them as “libel.”
In the same social media post, the president also said that the Mexican government is opposed to “any attempt at interference in our territory” — i.e. U.S. military action against Mexican cartels on Mexican soil.
Téllez accused Sheinbaum of making up “excuses” and “pretexts” to oppose cooperation with the United States to combat cartels in Mexico, and asserted that Morena puts the interests of “its criminal partners” ahead of those of ordinary Mexicans.
“In fact, there is a global scandal because the government of Sheinbaum colludes with organized crime,” she said.
“And there is some background to this. The dictator of Colombia, the guerrilla Gustavo Petro, [the current Colombian president] said that Sheinbaum was a member of the M-19 guerrilla group. … That’s why Sheinbaum now doesn’t want to act against cartels,” she said.
“… This narco-government represents the greatest threat to citizens in the history of Mexico,” Téllez asserted.
For its part, the Sheinbaum administration frequently emphasizes its commitment to combating cartels and their criminal activities.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told reporters on Tuesday that 11,600 people have been arrested for “high-impact crimes” since the new government took office on Oct. 1, while over 100 tonnes of drugs and more than 5,000 firearms have been seized.
Sheinbaum herself noted on Tuesday that last month was the least violent January in eight years in terms of homicides. She also highlighted that murders declined 12% in January compared to the month before she took office.
“We’re going to keep working every day to build peace and security in our country,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico News Daily
This is political talk to redirect unfeasible Trumpian style attack on a Democratic Socialist president with 80 +PCT. approval. The Mexican citizens OPPOSE any Yankee 1920s Failed Pancho Villa extraterritorial involvement ,even though he or a false flag op did, as in Cuba to ignite the Spanish US war.
Cartel members don’t wear uniforms, may live anywhere in the large country, including in the USA.
WTF, how deep is your head in the san!! Just read your local newspaper, you’ll learn more than you think you know! It was a pumped up “election”, and it’s well documented, to prove it. She’s just a clone of her mentor, out for her own benefit, just as all socialists.
I don’t care if the US military sent every one of their assets to Mexico, the drugs will not stop. I don’t care if a “socialist” is in power (America is a welfare state btw, a hundred times over Mexico) a democrat, a republican…..drugs are profitable because the US bans them. The drug war has been going on my entire life. Drugs only become more profitable and more readily available. The US wants to impose their will the world over with military bases in more than 120 countries. I totally understand the Mexican leaders not wanting to invite the US into their borders. The US has enemies for good reason. Mexico does not. They want it to stay that way. Btw I’m a Republican.
Cooperation, Intelligence, yes. US boots on the ground, drones, or more without coordination and explicit permission. No way! Mexico is a sovereign country and if you want Ukraine 2.0 wait until China asks if Mexico needs some help with that sovereignty and when she finally says ‘Yes’ the Chinese bring air defense artillery and get to practice their weaponry on the US, learning a lot about what works and doesn’t work (in case they need it in the future). Unexpected outcomes are possible here
I was with the Senator… UNTIL she started bad mouthing President Sheinbaum… 🍿🍿🍺🍺
This senator is begging for attention, regardless of her stupid accusations toward the president Claudia.
I’d be interested to know whether polls have been conducted asking Mexican citizens whether they want US military help in combating cartels. We were surprised when our 20 yo Uber driver (and university student) in Mexico City told us he wished they would come in.
Finally, there is a Mexican Senator who knows the “truth” and is telling it “like it is”. Need more Senator to “follow her advice”.
Bring in the US Forces – Mexico cant/ wont do it alone.
How long have the Cartels existed and thrived in Mexico? Thais ca NOT happen WITHOUT Government collaboration. In old terms “”Leaks sink Ships”. Cartels have Insider Information.
This politician lily tellez is a trump puppet! She sold herself to trump! How much money did she accept from trump ? How much did she sell herself for ?
Mexico has its own Tulsi Gabbard.
This woman is a nut job.
The article clearly state that “a poll conducted by the Reforma newspaper late last year revealed that 46% of respondents had a favorable view of Mexico collaborating with the U.S. to fight drug cartels in Mexico”.
No matter how much we hate Trump, it’s hard to blame an opposition politician for speaking to that half of the population that agrees that Mexico should accept US assistance in dealing with the cartels.
While entertaining, the shortsighted replies clearly show that people will interpret what they want from facts.
If the Mexican people, or half of them, aren’t happy with the current policy, it is her job to provide an alternative position. She is not a Morena Senator, she was not going against her Party’s policies. Expecting her to agree with the Morena policy is what Trump would want. Loyalty above integrity. This Senator was only making a valid point and belonging to the PAN Party it is her duty to expose what she sees as weakness in the opposition and give citizens an alternative to vote for if they want to see change. Americans and Canadians need to get over their hatred of Trump and remain objective. Or at least slow down enough to process and comprehend what they read. Shaming and dismissing the Senator’s comments is what Trump and his minions would do. We can disagree and still be respectful and objective. We can, and must be better. 🤙✌️&❤️
While I understand why the majority of Mexicans don’t want intervention, and as a gringo who will soon move to Mexico I agree, she certainly can have an opinion that’s opposed to the current administration. Should all politicians be on the same page? If so what’s the point of voting?
What if Mexico threatened to declare US gun makers terrorist and military a too. Thousands and if you accumulate the decades of the deaths in Mexico and USA caused by them.
Fix the healthcare the mental needs of US and their politicians is urgent
On the one hand I agree with the senator for the need to collaborate and I think it will be done discreetly. On the other hand she’s a nut job when she brings up the M-19 which is Colombian.
I agree. There is no need to speak to opinion, speculation, or just manufactured information. That’s politics as usual. Unfortunately, it’s not reality (facts) that gets attention, it’s usually one’s perception of reality that makes headlines and draws support. It seems that if you scream loud enough, for long enough, people start accepting it as truth. Especially when they want to believe it or it conveniently supports their own views.
I would have preferred if the Senator avoided the unproven M-19 comments and stuck to the facts. Even crediting the dictator of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, [the current Colombian president] with the statement, it hasn’t been proven as fact and should’ve been kept out of her comments. She did herself a disservice by trying to add “dirt”.
Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla, Nothing will change, except more innocent lives will be lost. You can not fight an army that you can not identify.