Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Friday, January 9, 2026, that she has directed her foreign minister to reach out directly to U.S. officials — and potentially to President Donald Trump himself — to strengthen bilateral security coordination. The move comes in direct response to Trump’s latest comments threatening U.S. military land strikes against drug cartels inside Mexican territory.
During a Thursday night interview on Fox News, Trump stated that the United States had already disrupted 97% of drug shipments arriving by sea and now planned to shift focus to “hitting land with regard to the cartels.” He added, “The cartels are running Mexico — it’s very, very sad to watch and see what’s happened to that country.”
The remarks followed a high-profile U.S. military operation in Venezuela last weekend, in which American forces captured President Nicolás Maduro. That action has raised concerns throughout Latin America about the possibility of similar unilateral interventions in other countries.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly described any unauthorized U.S. military action on Mexican soil as a serious violation of national sovereignty — a clear “red line” for her administration. At the same time, she has emphasized the importance of cooperation with Washington to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.
In recent months, Mexico has taken several steps to build trust with the United States, including two large-scale expulsions of high-level cartel figures to U.S. authorities and an ongoing year-long military offensive targeting the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. During Friday’s press conference, Sheinbaum also highlighted early signs of progress on domestic security, noting that preliminary figures show a 40% drop in homicides since she took office in October 2024.
Security experts believe Sheinbaum is now moving toward even closer security alignment with the United States, hoping that deeper cooperation will help prevent any unilateral American military moves. The Trump administration has framed its aggressive approach to drug trafficking as part of a broader effort to reassert U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere and stop the flow of narcotics that contribute to tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States each year.
As both governments navigate rising tensions, the coming weeks will test whether increased dialogue and joint efforts can reduce the risk of confrontation while addressing the shared challenge of powerful transnational criminal organizations.