Mexico's Senate continues reviewing President Claudia Sheinbaum's request for temporary US troops entry for joint training, following its January 5 suspension amid the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In a January 6 press conference, Sheinbaum called for a fair trial for Maduro, criticized foreign interventions, and urged stronger US action against narcotrafficking.
Building on the Senate Navy Commission's cancellation of its January 5 session—announced shortly after Maduro's January 3 detention by US forces in Venezuela, which also prompted protests outside the US Embassy in Mexico City—the review process emphasizes national sovereignty.
The US request involves approximately 29 troops, including Navy SEALs and Special Forces personnel, for exercises from mid-January to mid-April aimed at enhancing Mexican special operations capabilities.
Morena Senator Manuel Huerta Ladrón de Guevara, who confirmed the pause, stressed the need for thorough analysis: "The authorization for foreign troops entry cannot be treated as a mere procedure. It requires integral review, comparisons, and guarantees." He added, "Security in Mexico is not strengthened by weakening sovereignty, but with strong institutions, cooperation with limits, and adherence to international law."
At her January 6 morning press conference, President Sheinbaum addressed Maduro's situation post his New York plea of not guilty to narcotrafficking charges: "With President Maduro detained, what one asks for is a fair trial... there must be speed and justice." She condemned the US intervention in Venezuela, stating "intervention does not bring democracy to the peoples," while acknowledging opposition to Maduro's regime but rejecting unilateral actions.
Sheinbaum also pressed the US to combat narcotrafficking more effectively by controlling illegal arms flows into Mexico, targeting money laundering, and reducing domestic drug consumption. Senators from Morena, PT, and PVEM have rallied behind the administration's foreign policy, opposing subordination or external interference.
This position highlights Mexico's prioritization of sovereignty amid escalating US-Mexico tensions over regional security.
