AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum unequivocally shut down President Donald Trump’s threat of U.S. military strikes within her country to combat drug cartels.
“It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum said on Tuesday, during her morning press conference.
“He has suggested on several occasions or has said, ‘We offer you a United States military intervention in Mexico or whatever you need to combat criminal groups,’” Sheinbaum told reporters, referring to Trump.
“We do not accept an intervention by any foreign government. I’ve told him on the phone. I’ve said it with the State Department, with Marco Rubio,” she insisted before adding that Mexico is open to further intelligence sharing and working together with the U.S. military to fight back against the drug cartels.
Trump stunned many observers on Monday when asked if he would be open to bombing Mexico. “Would I launch strikes on Mexico to stop drugs? It’s OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs. Mexico is…look I looked at Mexico City
Trump went on to threaten Colombia with strikes as well and doubled down on his military actions against alleged drug smuggling boats from Venezuela.
“We have almost no drugs coming into our country by the sea. You know, the waterways. And you know why? Ok it’s pretty obvious. Would I do that on the land corridors? Look, every boat we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives – not to mention the destruction of families. These families are decimated forever. The mother, the father, the children, they never recover from it,” Trump said, adding:
Do I feel the same way about the corridors they use? We know every one of them. We have every one of those corridors under major surveillance. Colombia has cocaine factories where they make cocaine. Would I knock out those factories? I would be proud to do it personally. I didn’t say I’m doing it, I would be proud to do it.
__