Mexico’s Sheinbaum rejects Trump’s military strikes against cartels

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday rejected the idea of ​​U.S. military strikes against cartels on Mexican soil, in response to President Donald Trump’s comments that he would do “whatever it takes” to stop drugs from entering the United States.

The Associated Press reported that Sheinbaum said Mexico would not allow foreign military action on its territory and reaffirmed his government’s position against any U.S. intervention.

Trump said Monday he would consider authorizing U.S. strikes inside Mexico to stop the flow of drugs, calling it “OK with me” if that’s what it takes to protect American lives. He cited what he described as a major success in intercepting narcotics by sea and suggested that similar operations could target cartels’ land routes, arguing that such action would save “millions of lives” in the United States.

Sheinbaum quickly responded, saying the proposal echoed earlier discussions with Trump about possible U.S. intervention. She said Mexico favored security cooperation, but its sovereignty was non-negotiable, emphasizing that any joint effort must respect its authority within its own borders.

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected President Donald Trump’s suggestion of possible U.S. military strikes against the cartels, saying “it’s not going to happen.” (Henry Romero/File photo/Reuters)

“It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum told reporters, noting that Trump has already proposed U.S. military intervention to combat criminal organizations.

She said she told Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that while Mexico supported intelligence sharing, it would not allow foreign forces to operate within its borders. Sheinbaum said both U.S. leaders seemed to understand his position.

“We operate on our territory,” she said, emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty.

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US President Donald Trump has targeted drug cartels as part of a strategy to combat the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on the matter.

The exchange came as officials from both countries worked to clarify reports of a possible U.S. incursion into Mexican territory.

On Monday, individuals arrived by boat at a beach in northeastern Mexico and posted signs indicating that the area was restricted property of the United States Department of Defense.

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U.S. soldiers take action at the Mexican border after the Department of Defense signed a new order declaring 110,000 acres of land on the Mexican border as a national defense zone at the request of President Donald Trump in New Mexico on May 8, 2025. (Can Hasasu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said the navy removed the signs after determining they were on Mexican soil. Sheinbaum said Tuesday that the International Boundary and Water Commission, the agency that defines the border between the United States and Mexico, had been called in to review the issue.

Witnesses said the signs were posted on Playa Bagdad, near where the Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of America. The signs read “Warning: Restricted Area” in English and Spanish and claimed the territory was controlled by the U.S. military.

Sheinbaum later said the signs were installed by contractors working for a U.S. government agency, noting that the changing river bed often complicates the exact location of the border.

The disputed area is located near SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, which operates under contract to NASA and the Pentagon. In June, Sheinbaum said his government was investigating reports that debris from a SpaceX test explosion landed on the Mexican side of the border.

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The incident also reflects broader tensions between the two countries, including Trump’s earlier directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, a move Mexico strongly opposed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.