Overview

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Mexico before heading to Ecuador to seek swift action against cartels, fentanyl flows, illegal immigration and perceived Chinese influence.
• President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged collaboration on equal terms, reiterating that Mexico will not accept foreign military action or any arrangement that compromises sovereignty.
• Mexican officials now describe the outcome as a memorandum of understanding for sharing intelligence and pursuing joint investigative work rather than a formal pact, while a U.S. official says sovereignty safeguards are understood.
• In response to U.S. pressure and tariff threats, Mexico has deployed the National Guard to the northern border and extradited 55 cartel suspects long sought by U.S. authorities.
• Shortly before the trip, Washington announced a lethal strike on a drug-carrying vessel that departed Venezuela, signaling a wider campaign against regional narcotrafficking networks.