President Donald Trump on Sunday mentioned Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected his proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico to assist thwart the unlawful drug commerce as a result of she is frightened of the nation’s highly effective cartels.
The feedback by Mr. Trump got here a day after Ms. Sheinbaum confirmed that Mr. Trump pressed her in a name final month to settle for an even bigger position for the U.S. army in combating drug cartels in Mexico.
Mr. Trump mentioned it was “true” that he proposed sending the troops to Mexico and lashed into Ms. Sheinbaum for dismissing the thought.
“Well she’s so afraid of the cartels she can’t walk, so you know that’s the reason,” Mr. Trump said in comments to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “And I think she’s a lovely woman. The President of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight.”
The U.S. army presence alongside the southern border with Mexico has elevated steadily in current months, following Mr. Trump’s order in January to improve the Army’s position in stemming the stream of migrants.
The U.S. Northern Command has surged troops and tools to the border, elevated manned surveillance flights to monitor fentanyl trafficking alongside the border and sought expanded authority for U.S. Special Forces to work intently with Mexican forces conducting operations towards cartels.
But Ms. Sheinbaum mentioned that U.S. troops working inside Mexico was going too far.
“He said, ‘How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States military come in and help you.’ And you know what I said to him? ‘No, President Trump,’” she mentioned on Saturday. “Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended.”
She added that she informed Mr. Trump their two nations “can work together, but you in your territory and us in ours.”
Mr. Trump in February designated as “foreign terrorist organisations” many gangs and cartels smuggling medication into the U.S. , proscribing their actions and lending legislation enforcement extra sources to act towards them.
But Ms. Sheinbaum’s stance — and Mr. Trump’s response — recommend that U.S. strain for unilateral army intervention might create pressure between the 2 leaders after cooperation on immigration and commerce within the early going of Mr. Trump’s second time period.
Mr. Trump mentioned the U.S. army is required to stem the scourge of fentanyl within the United States.
“They are bad news,” Mr. Trump mentioned of the cartels. “If Mexico wanted help with the cartels we would be honoured to go in and do it. I told her that. I would be honoured to go in and do it. The cartels are trying to destroy our country.”
The White House has additionally linked its efforts to cut back the stream of fentanyl to Mr. Trump’s tariff plan, saying he desires to maintain Mexico, Canada, and China accountable for stemming the stream of the drug into the U.S.
Published – May 05, 2025 09:03 am IST
