The United States is stepping up pressure on Mexico to permit a greater American role in operations targeting the production of fentanyl, according to a report published by The New York Times on Thursday. Citing multiple unnamed US officials, the report says Washington wants approval for either US Special Operations forces or Central Intelligence Agency officers to accompany Mexican troops during raids on suspected fentanyl laboratories inside Mexico. The request is said to have emerged from a series of recent high-level security discussions between the two countries, as the US seeks more aggressive measures to curb the flow of the synthetic opioid.
The push reflects growing frustration within the US administration over the scale of the fentanyl crisis and the belief that joint on-the-ground operations could disrupt cartel-controlled manufacturing networks more effectively. American officials reportedly argue that direct participation by US personnel would improve intelligence gathering, coordination, and operational outcomes during raids on clandestine drug facilities.
The issue gained further attention after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, following which President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning suggesting that Mexico could face similar pressure. In an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, Trump claimed that drug cartels effectively control large parts of Mexico and blamed them for an enormous death toll in the United States. He said the cartels were responsible for killing between 250,000 and 300,000 Americans each year, describing the situation as tragic and unacceptable.
Trump went on to suggest that the United States could begin striking targets on land to confront the cartels directly. These remarks are part of a broader pattern of rhetoric in which he has repeatedly raised the possibility of deploying American military force against criminal organisations operating across the border, framing the drug crisis as a national security threat rather than solely a law enforcement issue.
Mexico’s leadership, however, has firmly pushed back against the idea of foreign troops operating on its soil. President Claudia Sheinbaum has reiterated her opposition to any form of US military intervention, even while acknowledging that she had what she described as a productive conversation with Trump on matters of security and drug trafficking. She has stressed that cooperation must respect Mexico’s sovereignty.
Sheinbaum has previously rejected similar proposals from Trump during earlier discussions, maintaining that while Mexico is willing to cooperate with the United States on intelligence sharing and joint strategies, it will not allow foreign military forces to participate directly in combat or enforcement operations. Her stance underscores the deep sensitivity in Mexico around issues of national sovereignty and historical resistance to external military involvement, even as pressure from Washington continues to grow.
