A new chapter in the bittersweet history between the US and Mexican presidents has caught the public’s attention. This development emerged at a recent press conference where Donald Trump said he would be proud to attack Mexican and Colombian territory in order to destroy the facilities of drug trafficking groups that, according to the US government, are foreign terrorist organizations.

“Colombia has cocaine factories where they make cocaine … Would I destroy those factories? I would be proud to do it, personally … I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but I would be proud to do it, because we are going to save millions of lives by doing so,” Trump said.

According to Trump, he would request permission from Congress to do so, and he ventured to say that both Republicans and Democrats would agree with such potential attacks.

He also said that he has not cut off communication with Mexico on this issue and that he is aware of the Mexican government’s efforts to comply with agreements to combat drug trafficking. However, he also expressed dissatisfaction with the results.

“I’ve been talking to Mexico; they know where I stand, we’re losing hundreds of thousands of people to drugs … We know the addresses of every drug lord … we know everything about each one of them. They’re killing our people. It’s like a war. Would I do it? I’d be proud to do it,” Trump said.

Sheinbaum’s response

The Mexican president’s response was swift. She told the press that her government would not consent to or accept any US military attack as suggested by President Trump: “It’s not going to happen … We are not going to ask for it.”

“I have told him [Trump] on every occasion that we can collaborate, that they can help us with the information they have, but that we operate in our territory, that we do not accept intervention from any foreign government,” said the Mexican president.

Sheinbaum clarified that her government is achieving positive results in the fight against drug trafficking thanks, among other things, to the military and intelligence support offered by Washington, but she stressed that such aid will never be conditional on the loss of Mexican sovereignty.

In addition, Sheinbaum affirmed that she had already agreed with Trump that an attack on Mexico would only happen if Mexico granted permission to the US military, to which Sheinbaum added that she would not grant such permission.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also ruled out any possibility of a unilateral attack on Mexican territory. Thus, it appears that Trump’s statements do not imply an immediate threat, although they are part of a recent and complex history of conflicting statements.

Another chapter in the tense calm

Since Trump took office in early 2024, there have been multiple bouts of tensions between Washington and Mexico. For example, in November 2024, weeks after his election, Trump announced his intention to stop migrants from entering his southern border at all costs, to which Sheinbaum responded that her government would make every effort to prevent illegal migration, but would not resort to practices that violate human rights.

Tariffs have also been a major point of tension between the countries. Mexico has been targeted with high tariffs on several occasions. First in February 2025, as a “punishment” for “allowing” fentanyl into the US and later as part of the international reciprocal tariff regime. This sparked controversy not only with Mexico, but also with several US industrialists who have factories south of the Rio Grande.

Read more: Trump suspends 25% tariff on Mexican imports after talk with Sheinbaum

In both cases, the two cabinets resolved the impasses through telephone conversations. Additionally, Rubio, during a visit to Mexico, confirmed that diplomatic, economic, and political relations were in good standing. On several occasions, Trump has publicly stated that he respects Sheinbaum and her approach to politics.

Read More: In Rubio-Sheinbaum meeting, US agrees to restrict security enforcement to respective borders

Thus, it seems almost unlikely that the United States will alter this tense calm that has been established between governments that are quite different ideologically but equally interested in keeping problems away from their borders.

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