Overview
- The New York Times reports that Washington seeks to deploy Special Operations forces or CIA personnel to accompany or even direct raids on alleged fentanyl labs in Mexico.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly rejects any armed foreign presence and proposes expanded intelligence-sharing, with U.S. advisers already embedded in Mexican command centers.
- President Trump’s team revived the proposal after the Jan. 3 capture of Nicolás Maduro, according to U.S. officials cited by the Times.
- The Pentagon said it is prepared to execute the commander in chief’s orders at any time, yet no bilateral authorization for armed U.S. operations in Mexico has been announced.
- U.S. covert support includes CIA drone surveillance to track labs and precursors, but detection is difficult and Mexican law—including a 2025 constitutional amendment—restricts foreign troop presence.