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4d ago

U.S. Presses Mexico to Let American Forces Join Anti-Fentanyl Raids

Mexico stresses sovereignty, offering intelligence sharing instead of foreign troops.

FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at the National Palace in Mexico City, Nov. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
The border wall between the United States and Mexico, after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she ruled out a U.S. military intervention to combat drug cartels, following a "good conversation" on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump on security and drug trafficking, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez
Image
FILE — White powder, purportedly finished fentanyl, sits on a table outside a kitchen where a Sinaloa cartel cook worked in Culiacan, Mexico, Dec. 19, 2024. The United States is escalating pressure on the Mexican government to permit the U.S. military to target fentanyl labs, according to American officials. (Meridith Kohut/The New York Times)

Overview

  • U.S. officials are seeking permission for Special Operations troops or CIA officers to accompany Mexican units on raids targeting suspected fentanyl labs, according to multiple reports.
  • President Claudia Sheinbaum has ruled out U.S. ground operations after speaking with President Donald Trump, proposing expanded intelligence sharing and a larger U.S. advisory role inside Mexican command centers.
  • Covert CIA drone flights over Mexico are already providing targeting intelligence to Mexican forces, and some U.S. officials have discussed potential drone strikes on labs, prompting sovereignty and legal concerns.
  • Following a call, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente said more must be done, as Sheinbaum cites falling homicides, lower fentanyl seizures at the border, and reduced migration as proof cooperation is working.
  • Trump has threatened to “start hitting land” against cartels after the January 3 Maduro capture in Venezuela, and the Pentagon says it stands ready to execute orders.