Overview

• The State Department set a Sept. 2–4 trip to Mexico and Ecuador to push actions against cartels, fentanyl trafficking, irregular migration, and trade concerns.
• Sheinbaum scheduled a Sept. 3 meeting in Mexico City, saying the security text is practically concluded as an entendimiento that may not require a formal signing.
• Mexico rejected U.S. proposals for greater on-soil intervention, including potential direct military support, stressing that security operations inside Mexico remain exclusively Mexican.
• Negotiators outlined cooperation such as joint probes into fentanyl precursors, reciprocal information-sharing, training programs, prevention campaigns, and efforts to curb U.S. arms flowing south.
• Tensions over the DEA’s announced Proyecto Portero—dismissed by Sheinbaum as not reflecting reality—highlight operational sensitivities as Rubio’s visit nears.