President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday rebuffed a declaration from the United States’ ambassador designate to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, that the U.S. military could unilaterally take action against drug cartels on Mexican soil if the lives of U.S. citizens were at risk.
“We don’t agree. He said everything’s on the table, well no,” Sheinbaum said at her morning press conference.
“Not everything is on the table, nor on the chair, nor on the floor, nor anywhere. Not that,” she said.
Her remarks came after a day after Johnson was questioned by United States Senator Chris Coons about his views on unilateral U.S. military action against Mexican cartels.
“Sovereignty is a core principle. I understand that the designation of the drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations reflects widespread concern and anger in the United States about the cartels and the impact of fentanyl,” Coons said at a Senate hearing for three of President Donald Trump’s ambassador nominees.
“Would you agree that we should not take any military action against cartels in Mexican territory without the knowledge and consent of the Mexican government?”
Johnson — an army veteran and former CIA official who served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term as president — said he believed that on “any decision to take action against a cartel inside Mexico, our first desire would be that it be done in partnership with our Mexican partners.”
“That said I know that President Trump takes very seriously his responsibility to safeguard the lives of U.S. citizens and should there be a case where the lives of U.S. citizens are at risk I think all cards are on the table,” he said.
“I cannot respond to what the commander-in-chief might decide based on the information he has. I’ve been a private citizen for the last four years, but I think we would prefer to work with our partners in Mexico,” Johnson said.
On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. secretary of state to look at the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. He was subsequently asked whether he would consider “ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels.
“Could happen,” Trump responded. “Stranger things have happened.”
In July last year, Trump said “absolutely” when he was asked in an interview with Fox News whether “strikes” against Mexican cartels were “still on the table.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 28 that in his first call with top Mexican military officials, United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “that if Mexico didn’t deal with the collusion between the country’s government and drug cartels, the U.S. military was prepared to take unilateral action.”
“Mexico’s top brass who were on that call were shocked and angered, feeling he was suggesting U.S. military action inside Mexico,” the WSJ said, citing “people briefed on the Jan. 31 call.”
For his part, Trump’s “government efficiency” czar Elon Musk wrote on X on Feb. 19 that six Mexican cartels and two other criminal organizations were “eligible for drone strikes” as a result of the State Department’s designation of the groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
The CIA has recently been flying unarmed drones over Mexico to spy on drug cartels and hunt for fentanyl labs — with the permission of the Mexican government, according to Sheinbaum.
The president has previously rejected repeated assertions from the U.S. government that the Mexican government colludes with drug cartels and provides “safe havens” for them.
Despite “the libel the White House makes against the government of Mexico” — as Sheinbaum described the assertions — the president has maintained what she calls a “relationship of respect” with Trump in the almost eight weeks since he commenced his second term. Last week, she reached a deal with him that resulted in the suspension of most U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods just two days after they were imposed.
Trump said on social media that he decided to suspend tariffs on Mexican goods covered by the USMCA free trade pact “as an accommodation, and out of respect for,” Sheinbaum, with whom he said he is “working hard … on the border, both in terms of stopping illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl.”
Sheinbaum has said on numerous occasions that Mexico is willing to collaborate with the United States on security issues, but will not accept any violation of its sovereignty.
She repeated that message on Friday.
“We collaborate within a framework of respect, we coordinate with each other, there is in fact very good coordination. There is very good coordination because there is respect between both countries, and [there is] collaboration within the framework of our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said.
“… We’re going to continue collaborating, coordinating together. If he’s ratified by the Senate, there will be a good relationship with the ambassador, but, as we’ve said, Mexico is respected,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
If you are an American who lives in Mexico, yeah, that can be an unnerving prospective of your own country casting stink bombs or worse toward your or your neighbors property. But growing up in So California and owning 13 businesses including restaurants and hospitality real estate, I like many American business people know just how many Mexicans documented or undocumented hardworking Mexicans there are. And from a purely selfish perspective ” most ” of us look at them not only as vital to the survival of our businesses, but also as family.because that is how successful small businesses become successful -” use the most productive human resource to generate the greatest
ROI”. To stink bomb your own staff and family would be a bridge too far for the entrepreneurs who are largely responsible for making what , until the past 7 weeks was considered the greatest economy on Gods green acre. I know them and their staff/ family. The low IQ bully group will finally meet its match. Stay tuned!
We all in the US are responsible for the growth and narcissistic attitude of our gov. We are all cheering on wars everywhere. We have over 800 military bases in over 80 countries across the globe. Dems and Repubs are both responsible.
As an American who will become a resident of Mexico next week and will be a property owner in Mexico next month i absolutely one hundred percent know I’ve made the right choice. I’ve grown tired of my country. The love of my country has been replaced with a love of Mexico, and especially the people and culture. I’m not a leftist but hold strong Sheinbaum. And I’m over being ashamed of my home country. I stopped voting 10 years ago and have given up. If my wife and I are so lucky we will have a baby in Mexico and become citizens if given the opportunity.
I absolutley agree with you. I am a American who has made my home in Mexico for the past 8 years. I am so grateful to have the honor to live in this beautiful country. I learn more day by day how wonderful most of the Mexican people are. I was taught at a young age by my grandmother that in most cases if you treat people how you want them to treat you most would welcome and help you. That is how I feel about Mexicans. They have a warm and loving culture. They are very hard working people yet I see time and time again how they work to make bridges and not brake them. I feel more welcome here then I do in my own country anymore. My heart hurts for what the American Government is doing to Mexicans. Eyes Wide Open!
Can anybody imagine any of that happening?! They done lost their minds.
Can you imagine Mexico launching attacks on the drug dealers in the US.
What are you talking about???? Obviously you have not traveled near Chilpancingo lately. Law and Order HA HA!!!! Control of Cartels? You need to WAKE UP!!!!!
Trump and company need to focus on doing the right thing in their own country. They hurt the American people every day; they have destroyed the government; thousands upon thousands of people no longer have a job. He is a megalomaniac! And has zero regard for life. A US army invasion would cost innocent lives. That would be the outcome. He needs to stay in his own lane and respect our sovreignity!
The waste and inefficiency of the US Government has been building for over 50 years. It is time a President that can NOT be BOUGHT takes ACTION. In the US. TAXPAYERS are IMPORTANT and appear to be speaking out.
Are you suggesting for even a second that trump cannot be bought? He would sell his own children to the highest bidder in a heartbeat. He’s already sold the country down a river.
What do you know about government waste and inefficiency? Do you have first hand knowledge, or have you worked for the federal government? Or are you just regurgitating what your right wing propagandists have told you? While there is always a certain amount of waste and inefficiency in any bureaucracy, that is just as true in private industry. Most of the problems in government are caused by politicians looking for “pork”, or lawyers, which most politicians are. After a lifetime being a native of the Washington, D.C. area, having both friends and family working for the government in various capacities, and myself having a 36 year career as an FAA air traffic controller following an enlistment in the USAF, it sounds to me like you are just spreading the same right wing bs that Reagan, Bush (both of them), and especially Trump have been selling, while knowing and understanding little about the functions of the federal government.
Cannot be bought? How did Musk become the defacto president. What are you smoking?
I voted Trump three times but lately he’s acting like an errand boy for the Zionists. He appears to have sold out the American people. USA has been fighting the War on Drugs for over fifty years but still blame the fentanyl crisis on foreign governments! Plus intervention in Mexico feeds the military industrial complex!
So you voted for Trump three times. Now you have NO right to complain! You bought the ticket and enabled the result so enjoy your ride!
Can you imagine Mexico launching attacks on Drug Cartels. That is a 😃.
DITTO!!!!!!
Gosh you lefties just Don when to shut up. Like us expats are going to make a difference in the decisions
Can you imagine the U.S. launching attacks on it’s own cartels hiding out as billionaires and corporations?
That will not happen. A real question would how many people in the Government are corrupt.
I hope the Mexicans continue to be as forgiving as they have been so far.
Cartels are not only a threat to US, but many countries
We know that Curt. That’s quite obvious. The idea that we can go around the world and use our military unilaterally, without the knowledge or approval of sovereign states, is also a threat. To them AND us. Anyone in their right mind would agree that we wouldn’t let ANYONE get away with that on our own shores. The fact that we are now talking about that very idea is incredibly risky. And quite honestly the attitude that fosters that conversation is the reason we have enemies the world over.
a simple point, he is right and she is wrong. What he said is simple: if American lives are lost or at stake, given Mexico’s partnerhisp with the cartels (this includes AMLO and by association Claudia), we will strike. As a retired US Army Officer and Vietnam Helicopter pilot, who was born in Mexico (Mexican father, American mother) and love the good Mexico I know, i agree we can act and I voluteer to lead the strikes
How is he right? Please explain as to the law of sending in strikes to Mexico? So you can fit in your bird and fly into Mexico. Let us know how that works out for you.