MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum firmly restated her nation’s staunch opposition to U.S. plans to extradite Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Monday, while drawing a clear red line against any foreign meddling in Mexico’s affairs.”We categorically reject intervention in the internal matters of other countries,” Sheinbaum declared at her daily press briefing, building on remarks issued Saturday following a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in Maduro’s capture.
The statement comes amid escalating tensions, as U.S. President Donald Trump recently floated the idea of military action inside Mexico to dismantle powerful drug cartels. Sheinbaum countered by emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty and ongoing bilateral cooperation on narcotics and security. “In Mexico, the people rule. We are a free and sovereign country, cooperation, yes; subordination and intervention, no,” she asserted.
Her position aligns seamlessly with Mexico’s constitutional commitment to non-intervention, a cornerstone of foreign policy upheld since Sheinbaum assumed office in 2024. Trump, who returned to the White House last year, has repeatedly advocated for U.S. troops to target cartels south of the border. Over the weekend, he told reporters the U.S. “would have to do something” about the drug crisis originating from Mexico.
Responding to reporters’ queries, Sheinbaum downplayed the likelihood of actual U.S. incursions. “I don’t believe in an invasion; I don’t even think it’s something they’re taking very seriously,” she said. She noted Trump’s persistent requests during leader-to-leader calls for U.S. Army access to Mexican soil, which Mexico has rebuffed, citing both national sovereignty and the ineffectiveness of such measures.
The friction reignited after Trump’s administration labeled Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other trafficking networks as terrorist organizations, a move shelved during his first term at the behest of then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
In August, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled openness to military options against these groups. Mexico’s firm stance underscores a broader Latin American pushback against perceived U.S. overreach, even as both nations collaborate on border security challenges.