Mexican President Expresses Openness to US Security Deal

(MENAFN) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has shown a willingness to negotiate a security pact with the United States aimed at addressing drug cartels and unauthorized migration.

However, she made it clear that any such agreement must be rooted in “mutual respect” and occur “without subordination.”

During her inaugural State of the Union speech on Monday, Sheinbaum responded to recent allegations that US President Donald Trump had covertly instructed the Pentagon to consider military action against drug cartels operating within Mexican borders—a revelation that has triggered widespread backlash, according to a news agency.

“The basis of this understanding is shared responsibility, mutual trust, respect for sovereignty and territoriality, and cooperation without subordination,” Sheinbaum stated to members of Congress.

She reiterated Mexico’s willingness to engage in both security dialogues and trade negotiations, highlighting that the two nations are nearing the completion of a revised cooperative framework. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Mexico later this week to continue discussions.

This comes at a time when Trump is ramping up threats to impose fresh tariffs on Mexican goods, aiming to force the country into adopting stricter measures against organized criminal networks and cross-border migration.

In a recent show of cooperation, Mexico extradited 26 alleged traffickers to the United States, including individuals with links to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.

Despite these efforts, a large segment of the Mexican public strongly opposes any potential US military involvement within their territory.

Many citizens view it as a direct infringement on national sovereignty, drawing historical parallels to the 1846 US invasion that led to the loss of half of Mexico’s land.

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