In the wake of the US capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, President Trump intensified threats of action against Mexican cartels over drug trafficking. President Sheinbaum rejected unilateral moves, citing ongoing cooperation amid T-MEC reviews, echoing her prior dismissals of similar rhetoric.
Building on his December 2025 warnings of potential military operations against cartels—dismissed by Sheinbaum as unnecessary—Trump sharpened his stance after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas on January 3, 2026, in an operation killing over 40 people.
Aboard Air Force One, Trump stated: 'Something must be done about Mexico. Mexico has to get organized, because drugs are filtering in from Mexico.' He offered troops to Sheinbaum, whom he called 'a great person' but 'a bit scared about the cartels,' while criticizing Mexico's control over trafficking and labeling cartels as terrorists.
On January 5, Sheinbaum reiterated sovereignty in her press conference: 'I see no risks. There is coordination, there is collaboration with the US... Organized crime is not solved by intervention.' She highlighted increased Mexican arrests, seizures, and extraditions.
Analysts like David Saucedo interpret this as a negotiation tactic ahead of T-MEC reviews. Experts warn intervention could derail cooperation. Mexico joined Brazil, Colombia, and others in a UN statement rejecting external control of Venezuelan oil. Morena's Ricardo Monreal urged national unity against sovereignty threats.
