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3h ago

U.S. Presses Mexico to Let American Personnel Join Raids on Fentanyl Labs

Mexico is rejecting U.S. personnel on raids to preserve its sovereignty.

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
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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)
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Overview

  • U.S. officials are seeking permission for Special Operations troops or CIA officers to accompany Mexican forces on operations targeting suspected fentanyl production sites, according to reports citing unnamed officials.
  • President Claudia Sheinbaum has ruled out U.S. military operations on Mexican soil after a call with President Trump, reiterating that cooperation must not involve foreign troops.
  • The renewed push followed the Jan. 3 U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, as Trump publicly signaled a shift to striking land targets against cartels.
  • Mexican officials are proposing expanded intelligence sharing and a larger American advisory presence inside command centers rather than joint raids, with U.S. advisers already embedded and unarmed.
  • U.S. intelligence efforts, including covert drone flights over Mexico that expanded after Trump returned to office, aim to locate labs that are hard to detect, while some in Washington have discussed potential drone strikes that would raise sovereignty and legal concerns.