Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has unequivocally rejected recent suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that he could authorize military strikes against drug cartels within Mexico. In a press conference on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, Sheinbaum stated firmly, “It’s not going to happen,” emphasizing her country's sovereignty and historical sensitivities to foreign intervention.

The exchange followed comments from President Trump on Monday, 17 November 2025, where he indicated his openness to such actions. “Would I want strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? OK with me, whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” Trump stated, adding he was “not happy with Mexico.” Sheinbaum confirmed that Trump has made similar offers in previous conversations, which she has consistently declined. “We can collaborate, that they can help us with information they have, but that we operate in our territory, that we do not accept any intervention by a foreign government,” she clarified.

Historical Context and National Sovereignty

In her response, President Sheinbaum drew a powerful historical parallel to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), a conflict that resulted in Mexico losing a significant portion of its territory to the United States. “The last time the United States came to intervene in Mexico, they took half of the territory,” she reminded reporters, underscoring the deep-seated national trauma associated with U.S. military presence. The war concluded with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, under which Mexico ceded territories that now form the U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several others.

This historical reference frames Mexico's staunch defense of its sovereignty as a core principle of its foreign policy. The sentiment resonates with broader international law principles and the positions of many nations, including those in Africa, on non-interference in internal affairs. The African Union (AU), for instance, has consistently voiced strong opposition to external military interference on the continent, as seen in its recent statements regarding conflicts in Libya and Niger. The AU's Constitutive Act, however, does include a right for the Union to intervene in a member state under “grave circumstances” such as war crimes, a principle born from experiences like the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation

Despite the heated rhetoric, the United States and Mexico maintain a complex and deeply integrated security relationship. For years, this cooperation was structured under the Mérida Initiative, which began in 2008. In October 2021, this was replaced by the Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities, a partnership aimed at a more holistic approach to shared security threats, including drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and public health crises stemming from addiction. This framework emphasizes shared responsibility and mutual respect for sovereignty.

President Trump's administration has, however, signaled a more aggressive posture, designating several Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in February 2025 and characterizing their actions as an “armed attack against the United States.” This legal framing could be used to justify unilateral military action, a prospect that President Sheinbaum's government has consistently and firmly opposed.

Relevance for Kenya and East Africa

While geographically distant, this diplomatic dispute holds relevance for Kenya. Kenya and Mexico established diplomatic relations on 15 March 1977 and are partners in multilateral forums like the Group of 15. Bilateral trade, though modest, is growing; in 2023, two-way trade amounted to US$21.4 million. In March 2024, Mexico's Ambassador to Kenya, Enrique Javier Ochoa Martinez, noted his government's acknowledgment of Kenya's decision to lead a multinational security support mission to Haiti, a sign of cooperation on the international stage.

The core of the U.S.-Mexico issue—the tension between national sovereignty and the cross-border nature of organized crime—is a familiar challenge for the East Africa region. Nations in the region frequently collaborate to combat transnational threats like terrorism and trafficking, yet these partnerships are carefully managed to respect national sovereignty. The debate between Washington D.C. and Mexico City serves as a high-profile case study on the complexities of international security cooperation, offering a point of comparison for how African nations navigate similar pressures from global powers. President Sheinbaum's firm stance, rooted in historical precedent, provides a clear example of a nation asserting its right to self-determination in the face of immense external pressure, a principle highly valued across the African continent.