President Claudia Sheinbaum defended progress in bilateral security cooperation with the United States, highlighting strong results and demanding mutual respect and shared responsibility. This comes in response to criticisms from the US State Department calling for concrete results against drug trafficking. Additionally, the Mexican foreign minister and his counterpart agreed to meetings to strengthen joint actions.
During her morning press conference on January 16, 2026, in the State of Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to a message from the US State Department posted the previous day, demanding "concrete and verifiable" results against narcoterrorist networks and deeming gradual progress on border security "unacceptable." Sheinbaum emphasized that cooperation has yielded "very strong results," citing a 50 percent reduction in fentanyl seizures at the US border, the seizure of nearly 320 tons of drugs in Mexico—of which 51 were found at sea—and a 40 percent drop in intentional homicides.
"Mutual respect means having trust. We are working well, coordinating; shared responsibility, they also have a part, an intense campaign to reduce drug consumption among youth in the United States. It cannot be thought that this drug crossing problem can be solved only on this side of the border; the other side also has to do its part," the president stated. She rejected recurring US proposals for CIA agents or military personnel to participate in operations against cartels, insisting that is the work of Mexico's Secretariat of Security, though she accepts assistance in intelligence and investigation upon Mexico's request.
This statement comes amid tensions over threats from President Donald Trump of actions against cartels on Mexican soil. Following a Monday call between Sheinbaum and Trump, military intervention was ruled out. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation, reaffirming collaboration based on respect for sovereignty and agreeing that the Bilateral Security Implementation Group will meet on January 23 to strengthen actions against cartels, fentanyl, and arms trafficking. They will also convene a Ministerial Security Meeting in February in Washington to evaluate progress and define future collaborations.
Mexico's embassy in the United States highlighted on social media that "cooperation works when based on mutual respect and shared responsibility," aligning with Sheinbaum's speech.
